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111  yc  inhabitant  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  Sec  Yc,  when  He 
liftcth  up  an  Ensinn  on  the  Mountains.— Isaiah  win,  3. 


Vol.  I. 


JANUARY,  1853. 


No.  1. 


PROSPECTUS  OF  "THE  SEER.1' 


THE  SEER  is  a  title  assumed  for  j 
this  Periodical  in  commemoration  of: 
Joseph  Smith,  the  great  Seer  of  the, 
last  days,  who,  as  an  instrument  in  the 
hands  of  the  Lord,  laid  the  foundation 
of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  preparatory 
to  the  second  coming  of  the  Messiah 
to  reinn  with  universal  dominion  over 
all  the  Earth. 

The  pages  of  the  Seer  will  be  most-  j 
lv  occupied  with  original  matter,  ilUi- 
cidating  the  doctrines  of  the  Church 
of  Jesu«  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,  as 
revealed  in  both  ancient  and  modern 
Revelations.  The  Prophecies,  relat- 
ing to  the  grand  and  remarkable  events 
of  the  last  days,  will  be  carefully  ex- 
amined and  unfolded.  The  doctrine 
of  Celestial  Marriage,  or  Marriage 
for  all  eternity,  as  believed  and  prac- 
tised by  the  Saints  in  Utah  Territory, 
will  be  clearly  explained.  The  views 
of  the  Saints  in  regard  to  the  ancient 
Patriarchal  Order  of  Matrimony,  or 
Plurality  of  Wives,  as  developed  in 
a  Revelation,  given  through  Joseph, 
the  Seer,  will  be  fully  published. 
The  Celestial  origin  and  pre-existence 
of  the  spirits  of  men — their  first  estate 
or  probation  in  a  previous  world — the 
great  benefits,  derived  by  descending 
from  Heaven,  and  entering  fleshly  ta- 
bernacles, and   keeping   the  laws  of 


their  second  estate,  and  their  final  re- 
demption and  exaltation,  as  Gods,  in 
their  future  state— are  subjects  which 
will,  more  or  less,  occupy  the  pages 
of  the  Seer. 

It  is  hoped  that  the  President  elect, 
the  Hon.  Members  of  Congress,  the 
Heads  of  the  various  Departments  of 
the  National  Government,  the  high- 
minded  Governors  and  Legislative  As- 
semblies of  the  several  States  and 
Territories,  the  Ministers  of  every  Re- 
ligious denomination,  and  all  the  in- 
habitants of  this  great  Republic,  will 
patronize  this  Periodical,  that  through 
the  medium  of  our  own  writings  they 
may  be  more  correctly  and  fully  in- 
formed in  regard  to  the  peculiar  doc- 
trines, views,  practices,  and  expecta- 
tions of  the  Saints  who  now  flourish 
in  the  Mountain  Territory,  and  who 
will  everjtually  flourish  over  the  whole 
Eaith.  And  we  say  to  all  nations, 
subscribe  for  the  Seer,  and  we  pro- 
mise you  a  True  and  Faithful  descrip- 
tion of  all  the  principal  features,  char- 
acterizing this  great  and  last  "  dispen- 
sation of  the  fulness  of  times." 

The  Seer  will  be  published  Month- 
ly, at  $1  per  annum,  in  advance. 
ORSON  PRATT,  Editor, 

Washington  City,  D.  C. 

December  21,  1852. 


2  FIRST  ElPSTLE  OF  ORSON  PRATT. 

First  Epistle  of  Orson  Pratt  to  the  Saints  scattered  throughout  the  United- 
Slates  and  British  Provinces— Greeting  : 

Dear  Brethern  :  Having  been  ap- 
pointed by  the  First  Presidency  with 
the  sanction  of  a  special  Conference 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter  Day  Saints,  held  in  Great  Salt 
Lake  City  on  the  28th  of  August, 
1852,  to  preside  over  the  Saints 
throughout  the  United  States  and 
British  Provinces  in  North  America  ; 
in  accordance  therewith,  I  have  left 
my  famdy  and  my  home  in  the  peace- 
ful   V«lC3  V»f    tiro  OTCTT.nttt.Lna  •     anrl,  after 

crossing  the  wild  desert  plains  which 
intervene  between  the  happy  land  of 
the  Saints  and  the  Gentile  lands  of 
strife  and  wickedness,  I  find  myself 
within  the  field  of  my  mission:  that 
the  Saints  may  more  fully  learn  the 
nature  of  my  mission  among  them,  I 
will  insert  the  following: 


LETTER  OF  APPOINTMENT. 

This  certifies  that  Professor  Orson 
Pratt  of  the    University  of   Deseret, 
one  of  the  Apostles  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-Day  Saitns,  is 
appointed  by  us,  with  the  sanction  of 
the  special  Conference,  convened  in 
this  city  on  the  twenty-eighth  day  of 
August,  A.  D.  One  Thousand  Eight 
Hundred  and    Fifty-two,  to  preside 
over  the  affairs  of  the  Church  through- 
out the  United  States  and  the  British 
Provinces    in    North  America;    and 
also,  to  write  and  Publish  Periodicals, 
Pamphlets,  Books,  &c,  illustrative  of 
the  principles  and  doctrines    of  the 
Church,  and  to  do  all   other  things 
necessary  for  the  advancement  of  the 
work  of  the  Lord  among  all  nations 
Elder  Pratt  is  authorized  and  re- 
quired to  receive  and  collect  tithing  of 
the  Saints  through  all  his  field  of  labors: 
and  we  request  the  Elders  and  other 
officers  and  members  of  the  Church 
to  give  diligent  heed   to  his  counsels 
as  the  words  of  life  and  salvation,  and 
assist  him  to  funds  to  enable  him  to 
travel,  print,  establish  book  agencies, 
and  perform  all  other  duties  of  his 
calling,  and  the  blessings  of  our  Father 
in    Heaven    shall    rest    upon    them. 


Emigrating  Fund  Company,  and  is 
hereby  appointed  and  authorized  to 
act  as  Traveling- Agent  in  the  United 
States  and  British  Provinces  in  North 
America,  and  he  is  instructed  to  col- 
lect, and  disburse  and  aid  to  promote 
the  emigration  of  poor  Saints  to  the 
valleys  of  the  mountains. 

Bro.  Orson  Pratt  is  too  well  and 
favorably  known  to  need  any  testimo- 
nial further  than  his  own  presence  and 
acquaintance  to  secure  the  esteem  and 
conftuento  of  all  among  whom  his  lot 
may  be  cast.  His  acquirements  and 
attainments  are  of  the  highest  order, 
and  possessing,  as  he  eminently  does, 
every  requisite  of  an  honorable  and 
high-minded  gentleman,  we  take  great 
pleasure  in  recommending  him  to  the 
kindness  and  consideration  of  all 
good  men. 

Brigham  Youmg, 

HEBER    C.    KlMBALE, 

Willard  Richards, 
Presidency  of  said  Church. 
Signed  and    sealed    at    Great   Salt 


Lake  City,  U.  T.,  Sept.  13,  1852. 

The  principal  features  of  my  mis- 
sion are  contained  in  the  foregoing 
letter;  but  ever  feeling  a  deep  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  the  saints,  you  will 
permit  me,  through  the  medium  of 
this  epistle  to  impart  to  you  such  in- 
structions as  the  Holy  Spirit  may 
whisper  to  my  mind.  I  wish  to  ask 
the  saints  who  still  remain  scattered 
abroad,  Do  you  enjoy  as  great  a  meas- 
ure of  the  Spirit  of  God  as  when  you 
were  first  baptized  into  this  kingdom  ? 
Or  are  your  minds  barren  ?  Your  un- 
derstandings unfruitful  ?  Your  souls  in 
darkness  ?  and  your  feelings  cold  and 
indifferent  towards  the  great  work 
which  you  have  embraced,  and  which 
once  made  you  joyful  and  happy  ?  If 
this  be  your  condition,  it  is  of  the 
utmost  importance  that  you  know  the 
causes  of  these  unhappy  changes  in 
your  feelings.  Is  it  because  the  Lord 
has  changed  and  forgotten  to  be  gra- 
cious ?    Is  it  because  the   fulness  of 


Bro.  Pratt  is  one  of  the  Perpetual  his  gospel  does  not  produce  the  same 


FIRST  EPISTLC  OF  ORSON  PRATT. 


effects  or  happiness  now,  as  it  did  in  j 
ancient  times  ?     Is  it  because  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  or  any  of  the  Revelations 
given  through  Joseph,  the  Seer,  have 
failed  to  accomplish   those   purposes  j 
for  which  they  were  sent?     Is  it  be- j 
cause  the  saints  have  passed  through 
great  tribulation,  and  have  been  driven  | 
from  city  to  city,  from  State  to  State,  j 
and  finally  banished  from  this  great 
Republic  to  seek  a  home  in  the  wild 
glens  of  the  Rocky  Mountains?    Is  it 
because  God  has  forsaken  his  people 
and  will  no  longer  show  them  mercy?  j 
No,  verily,  no;  none  of  these  causes 
have   conspired    to    drive    away   the 
Comforter  from  your  hearts,  or  to  en- 
velope you   in  darkness,  or  to  make 
you  cold,  and  indifferent,  and  unhappy. 
But  the  principal   cause  of  your  un- 
pleasant and  unhappy  state  of  mind, 
is  your  own  disobedience  to  one  of 
the  most  important  commands  which 
God  has  given  to  his  people  in  this 
last    dispensation,    namely  :     to   flee 
out  of  Babylon,  and  gather  themselves 
together,  and  stand    in    holy  places, 
that  they  may  escape  the  plagues  and 
desolating  scourges  which  the  Lord 
has  decreed  to  pour  out  upon  the  na- 
tions, because  of  their  great  sins  and 
wickedness    which    continually    cry 
unto  the  heavens  for  vengeance.     Can 
any  saint  neglect  so  important  a  com- 
mand, when  it  is  within  their  power 
to  keep  it,  and  still  be  justified,  and 
retain  the  peaceable  Spirit  of  the  Lord  ? 
No:  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  grieved 
with  such,  and  will,  by  degrees,  with- 
draw from  them,  and  they  will  grope 
in    the    dark,  and   be   liable    to    be 
overcome  by   temptation,  and  be  led 
captive    by  the  will    of  the  Devil : 
such  ones,  not  having  the  Spirit  that 
leads  into  all  truth,  are  liable  to  be  de- 
ceived by  the  doctrines  of  men  and 
Devils;  for  the  Lord  will  frequently 
suffer  strong  delusions  to  overpower 
such  that    their    damnation  may  be 
the  greater,  because  they  profess  to 
know  the  Lord,  and  yet  will  not  obey 
Him.     Remember   the  word    of   the 
Lord  which  came  by  the  mouth  of 
Joseph,  the  Seer,  saying,  "Hearken 
and  hear,  0  ye  my  people,  saith  the 
Lord  and  your  God,  ye  whom  I  de- 


light to  bless  with   the  greatest  bles- 
sings, ye  that  hear  me;  and  ye  that 
hear  me  not,  will  I  curse,  that  have 
professed  my  name,  with  the  heaviest 
of  all  cursings."     Have  you  hearken- 
ed to  the  word  of  God  ?     Have  you 
exerted  yourselves  to  the  utmost  to 
flee  from  Babylon  ?     If  not,  no  won- 
der that  you    are    in    darkness — no 
wonder  that  the  peaceable  Spirit  has 
been  grieved  from  your  bosom.     Re- 
pent, therefore,  speedily,  and  obey  the 
voice   of  the  Lord  and  gather  your- 
selves among  his  people,  lest  the  de- 
stroyer lay  hold  upon  you  in  an  hour 
you  think  not,  and  you  perish  in  dis- 
obedience, and  your  name  be  cut  oft' 
from  the  generations  of  Zion.     If  you 
will  awake  from  the  slumber  of  death 
which  has  seized  upon  you,  and  use 
every  exertion  to  obey  the  voice  of  the 
Lord  your  God,  His  anger  shall  be 
turned  away  from  you,  and  He  will 
show  you  mercy,  and  His  Spirit  shall 
be  restored  unto  you  again,  and  His 
hand  shall  be  stretched  out  over  you 
to    shield   and     protect  you,  and   to 
gather  you  even  as  a  hen  galhereth 
her  chickens  under  her  wings  to  save 
them   from   the    approaching  storms; 
so  shall  the  Lord  your  God  save  you, 
and   comfort  your  hearts,  and   make 
you  to  sing  with  joy  and  gladness,  and 
you  shall  be  His  people,  and  He  wi  1 
be  the  Lord  your  God.     Awake  then, 
0  awake!  flee  to  the  mountains  for 
refuge !    For  a   day  of   trouble  is  at 
hand — a  day  of  fierce  battle  and  war — 
a  day  of  mourning  and  lamentation 
for  widows  and  orphans  whose  hus- 
bands and  fathers  shall  fall  in  battle  : 
it  shall  be  the  day  of  the  Lord's  con- 
troversy for  His  people — a  day  of  re- 
compence  for  the  innocent   blood  of 
prophets  and   saints  which  has  been 
shed  among  this  nation. 

The  time  is  drawing  nigh  for 
these  things  to  be  fulfilled  ;  for  this  na- 
tion have  rejected  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, which  the  Lord  brought  forth 
by  the  mininistering  of  Angels,  and 
sent  unto  them  by  the  hands  of  His 
servants;  they  have  rejected  the 
Church  of  Christ  which  the  Lord 
God  in  mercy  established  in  their 
midst ;  they  have  suffered  His  Saints- 


FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  ORSON  PRATT. 


to  be  trampled  upon  by  mobs,  to  be  j 
scourged,  afflicted,  abused,  driven  from 
their  homes,  deprived  of  the  most  sa- 
cred rights  of  American  citizenship, 
and  finally  to  be  banished  from  their 
midst,  and  obliged  to  seek;  refuge  in 
the  solitary  wilds  and  deserts  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  They  have  closed 
their  "doors,  their  synagogues,  their 
eyes,  and  their  hearts  against  one  of 
the  most  glorious  and  important  mes- 
sages that  ever  saluted  the  ears  of 
mortals ;  they  have  suffered  one  of 
the  greatest,  most  renowned,  and  most 
celebrated  prophets  that  ever  lived 
upon  the  earth  to  be  murdered  in  cold 
blood,  without  bringing  the  murderers 
to  justice;  they  have  suffered  scores 
of  innocent  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren to  be  tortured,  shot  down,  and 
butchered,  in  open  day,  by  beings  who 
afterwards  boasted  of  their  horrid 
deeds,  and  yet,  no  means  are  institu- 
ted to  bring  these  guilty  wretches 
to  punishment.  Does  not  the  blood 
of  the  Saints  and  of  prophets  cry 
aloud  to  the  Heavens  for  vengeance  ? 
And  shall  this  nation  escape  the  judg- 
ments decreed  against  them  ?  And 
will  the  Almighty  forbear  to  execute 
the  vengeance  written  ?  Verily  No. 
For  in  December,  1833,  the  word  of 
the  Lord  came  through  Joseph,  the 
Seer,  concerning  His  Saints  who  had 
been  driven  from  their  homes  in  Jack- 
son Co.,  Missouri,  saying  : 

"  Let  them  importune  at  the  feet  of 
the  judge ;  and  if  he  heed  them  not, 
let  them  importune  at  the  feet  of  the 
Governor;  and  if  the  Governor  heed 
them  not,  let  them  importune  at  the 
feet  of  the  President  •,  and  if  the  Presi- 
dent heed  them  not,  then  will  the 
Lord  arise  and  come  forth  out  of  His 
hiding  place,  and  in  His  fury  vex  the 
nation,  and  in  His  hot  displeasure, 
and  in  His  fierce  anger,  in  His  time, 
will  cut  off  those  wicked,  unfaithful, 
and  unjust  stewards,  and  appoint  them 
their  portion  among  hypocrites  and 
unbelievers ;  even  in  outer  darkness, 
where  there  is  weeping,  and  wailing, 
and  gnashing  of  teeth.  Pray  ye,  there- 
fore, that  their  ears  may  be  opened 
unto  your  cries,  that  1  be  may  merci- 


ful unto  them,  that  these  things  may 
not  come  upon  them."  (Book  of  Cov- 
enants, page  282,  English  edition.) 

For  nineteen  years  the  Saints  have 
importuned,  according  to  this  com- 
mandment. But  have  they  obtained 
redress?  No.  The  Judges  and  the 
Covernor  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  in- 
stead of  redressing  our  wrongs,  suf- 
fered us,  under  the  force  of  arms,  to- 
be  killed,  immured  in  dungeons,  and 
banished  from  the  State.  The  Presi- 
dent, instead  of  restoring  us  to  our 
homes  and  lands  which  we  purchased 
of  the  National  Government,  suffered 
us  to  be  deprived  of  the  dearest  rights 
of  American  citizenship,  and  to  be 
banished  by  the  force  of  arms  from 
this  great  Republic  to  seek  refuge 
among  hostile  savages  in  the  barren 
wastes  of  the  snowy  mountains.  The 
cries  and  importunities  of  the  Saints 
for  redress  and  protection,  were  met 
with  the  cold  reply,  "Your  cause  is 
just,  but  we  have  no  power  to  protect 
you."  The  Saints  have  long  cried 
unto  the  Lord  that  He  would  open 
the  ears  and  soften  the  hearts  of  the 
Rulers  and  Authorities  of  our  country 
that  they  might  execute  justice  and 
right  in  behalf  of  the  suffering,  down- 
trodden, exiled  citizens  of  this  great 
Republic,  who  have  been,  by  the  force 
of  arms,  driven  into  banishment.  Bufc 
their,  ears  are  closed  to  our  cries,  their 
eyes  are  shut  to  our  sufferings,  and 
their  hearts  hardened  against  the 
mourning  and  lamentations  of  wid- 
ows and  orphans,  whose  husbands 
and  fathers  have  been  cruelly  mar- 
tyred for  the  testimony  of  Jesus,  and 
for  the  word  of  God.  The  cup  of 
the  iniquity  of  this  nation  is  nearly 
full ;  and  woe  unto  them,  when  the 
time  shall  come  that  they  are  fully 
ripe  in  their  abominations,  for  they 
shall  utterly  perish  from  off  the  face 
of  this  choice  land,  and  the  land  shall 
be  left  empty  and  desolate — yea,  their 
cities  shall  be  destroyed,  and  their 
houses  shall  be  desolate.  "  For  the 
Lord  shall  rise  up  as  in  mount  Pera- 
zim ;  He  shall  be  wroth  as  in  the  val- 
ley of  Gibeon,  that  He  may  do  His 
work,  His  strange   work  \  and  bring 


FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  ORSON  PRATT. 


to  pass  His  act,  His  strange  act.1'  (Tsa. 
28  :  21.)  Yea,  He  shall  destroy  and 
lay  waste,  and  none  shall  hinder. 
J  will  again  say  to  the  Saints  scat- 
tered abroad  in  this  land,  do  you  wish 
deliverance  in  the  day  of  trouble?  If 
you  do,  arise  and  flee  to  the  moun- 
tains, and  prepare  for  the  day  of  the 
Lord,  for  it  is  near.  Let  all  the  chil- 
dren of  Zion  go  up  into  the  moun- 
tains ;  for  thus  said  ihe  prophet,  Isaiah, 
in  his  prophetic  exhortation  to  the 
Zion  of  the  last  days,  "  0  Zion,  that 
bringcsl  good  ridings,  get  thee  up  into 
the  high  mountain.'"*  For  "  behold,  the 
Lord  God  will  come  with  strong  hand, 
and  His  arm  shall  rule  for  Him  :  be- 
hold, His  reward  is  with  Him  and  His 
work  before  Him.  He  shall  feed  His 
flock  like  a  shepherd:  He  shall  gather 
the  lambs  with  His  arm,  and  carry 
them  in  flisbosom."  (ha.  40:9— 11.") 
Isaiah  clearly  saw  that  before  the  sec- 
ond coming  of  the  Lord,  to  rule  uwith 
a  strong  hand,"  that  Zion  would  be 
required  to  "get  up  into  the  high 
mountain."  Many  of  the  children  of 
Zion  have  fulfilled  this  exhortation  of 
Isaiah  ;  and  I  now  say  to  the  balance  of 
her  children,  "GET  THEE  UP  INTO 
THE  HIGH  MOUNTAIN","  and  sanc- 
tify yourselves  that  you  may  be  as  an 
ensign  upon  the  mountains — a  standard 
for  the  people  unto  whom  the  meek  and 
virtuous  of  all  nations  shall  flow.  For 
thus  said  the  prophet  Laiah,  "He  shall 
set  up  an  ensign  for  the  nations,  and 
shall  assemble  the  outcasts  of  Israel, 
and  gather  together  the  dispersed  of 
Judah  from  the  four  corners  of  the 
earth."  (Isaiah  11:  12.)  This  en- 
sign remember  was  not  to  be  set  up 
in  Palestine,  where  Isaiah  lived  at  the 
time  he  delivered  the  prophecy,  but  it 
was  to  be  set  up  "from  afar,"  or  at  a 
great  distance  from  that  country:  hence, 
he  says,  again,  "And  He  will  lift  up  an 
ensign  to  the  nations  from  far,  and 
will  hiss  unto  them  from  the  end  of  the 
earth  :  and  behold,  they  shall  come 
with  speed  swiftly."  (Isa.  5:  26.) 
Four  things  are  clearly  predicted  in 
this  passage; — First,  An  ensign  is  to 
be  lifted  up  to  the  nations  by  the  Lord, 
Himself;  secondly,  this  ensign  was  to 
be  lifted  up,  not  in  the  country  where 


Isaiah  dwelt,  but  in  a  far  country ; 
thirdly,  when  this  ensign  should  be  set 
up,  the  Lord  should  hiss  unto  the  na- 
tions, not  from  Palestine,  but  "-from 
the  ends  of  the  earth,"  clearly  indi- 
cating a  message  that  should  hiss  forth 
from  that  distant  country  for  the  bene- 
fit of  all  nation?;  and  lastly,  a  people 
from  among  these  nations,  should 
"come  with  speed  swiftly,"  not  by  the 
slow  process  of  travelling  to  which 
ihe  ancients  were  accustomed,  but 
Hhey  shall  comr  with  speed  swiftly?* 
indicating,  no  doubt,  the  powerful 
agency  of  steam  by  which  that  people 
should  be  gathered  from  among  the 
nations  speedily  stcifth;  unto  the  stand- 
ard or  ensign  lifted  up.  This  standard 
or  ensign  was  not  to  be  raised  among 
Judah  or  Israel,  but  among  the  Gen- 
tiles, for  the  benefit  of  both  Israel  and 
Judah;  for  then,  as  Isaiah  says, in  the 
foregoing  quotation,  both  Israel  and 
Judah  will  be  gathered.  That  this 
standard  was  to  be  raised  among  the 
Gentiles,  instead  of  Israel,  is  clearly 
predicted  in  another  passage,  as  fol- 
lows : — "Thus  saith  the  Lord  God, 
behold,  I  will  lift  up  mine  hand  to  the 
Gentiles,  and  set  up  my  standard  to  the 
people  :  and  they  shall  bring  thy  sons 
in  their  arms,  and  thy  daughters  shall 
be  carried  upon  their  shoulders." 
(Isaiah  49  :  22.)  That  this  standard 
or  ensign  was  not  only  to  be  set  up  by 
the  Lord  God,  among  the  Gentiles,  but 
that  it  was  also  to  be  lifted  up  on  the 
mountains  is  also  predicted  by  Isaiah 
as  follows: — "All  ye  inhabitants  of 
the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth, 
SEE  YE,  WHEN  HE  L1FTETH  UP 
AN  ENSIGN  ON  THE  MOUN- 
TAINS; and  when  He  bloweth  a 
trumpet,  hear  ye.''  For  afore  the  har- 
vest, when  the  bud  is  perfect,  and  the 
sour  grape  is  ripening  in  the  flower, 
He  shall  both  cut  off  the  sprigs 
with  pruning  hooks,  and  take  away 
and  cut  down  the  branches.  They 
shall  be  left  together  unto  the  fowls 
of  the  mountains,  and  to  the  beasts  of 
the  earth  ;  and  the  fowls  shall  summer 
upon  them,  and  all  the  beasts  of  the 
earth  shall  winter  upon  them.  In  that 
time  shall  the  present  be  brought  unto 
the  Lord  of  Hosts  of  a  people  scat- 


FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  ORSON  FRATT. 


tered  a;ul  pealed,  and  from  a  people 
terrible  from  their  beginning  hitherto ; 
a  nation  meted  out  and  trodden  under 
footy  whose  land  the  rivers  have  spoiled, 
to  the  place  of  the  name  of  the  Lord 
of  Host?,  the  Mount  Zion."  (Isaiah 
18 :  3,  5,  6,  7.)  The  placeT  then,  for 
the  lifting  up  of  die  ensign  is  to  be 
ucm  the  mountains^  and  that  too  just 
before  "the  harvest  "  or  the  end  of  the 
wicked  world,  when  the  Lord  is  to 
destroy  a  certain  nation  under  the  name 
of  the  sour  grape,  and  they  are  to  be 
left  unbaried  for  the  fowls  and  !>eas;s 
to  summer  and  winter  upon  thfttn.  It 
will  be  perceived  also,  that  "all  the  in- 
habitants of  the  world \  and  the  dwellers 
on  the  ear'th^'1  are  called  upon  to  both 
see  and  hear,  when  the  Lord  lifts  up 
that  ensign  on  the  mountains. 

Under  a  deep  sense  of  the  impor- 
tant events  which  await  this  genera- 
tion, I  beg  of  Zion  to  bear  with  me, 
while  I  repeat  again  the  prophetic  ex- 
hortation of  Isaiah—"  O  Zion,  that 
bringest  good  tidings,  Get  thee  up  into 
the  high  mountain.''  Tarry  not,  lest 
you  fall  among  the  wicked,  and  are  de- 
prived of  the  blessings  which  the  Lord 
has  decreed  to  pour  out  upon  Zion. 

That  Zion  was  to  occupy  an  eleva- 
ted position  on  the  earth,  is  still  fur- 
ther evident  from  the  word  of  the 
Lord  which  came  through  Joseph, 
the  Seer,  in  September,  1831,  saying, 
"  Behold  I,  the  Lord,  have  made  my 
church  in  these  last  days  like  unto  a 
judge  sitting  on  a  HILL, or  in  a  HIGH 
PLACE,  to  judge  the  nations;  for 
it  shall  come  to  pass  that  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Zion  shall  judge  all  things 
pertaining  to  Zion  ;  and  liars  and  hy- 
pocrites shall  be  proved  by  them,  and 
they  who  are  not  apostles  and  prophets 
shall  be  known.  And  even  the  bishop, 
who  is  a  judge,  and  his  counsellors, 
if  they  are  not  faithful  in  their  steward- 
ships, shall  be  condemned,  and  others 
shall  be  planted  in  their  stead  •,  for, 
behold,  I  say  unto  you  that  Zion  shall 
flourish,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
shall  be  upon  her,  and  she  shall  be 
an  Ensign  unto  the  people,  and  there 
shall  come  unto  her  out  of  every  na- 
tion under  Heaven.  And  the  day  shall 
come  when  the  nations  of  the  earth 


shall  tremble  because  of  her,  and  shall 
fear  because  of  her  terrible  ones.  Tiie 
Lord  hath  spoken  it.  Amen."  (Book 
of  Covenants,,  page  156.) 

In  this  extract  the  Lord  predicted 
that  Zion  should  "be  an  Ensign  unto 
the  people,"  "  sitting  on  a  hill  or  in  a 
High  Place/'  and  that  she  should 
flourish.  In  another  lvvelation,  given 
through  Joseph,  the  Seer,  to  James 
Covill  in  January  1831,  the  Lord  says, 
uThou  art  ralhd  to  labor  in  my  vine- 
yard and  to  build  up  my  church,  and 
to  bring  forth  Zion,  that  it  may  rejoice 
upon  the  HILLS  and  flourish."  (Doc. 
and  Cov.,  page  212.  And  in  March, 
1831,  the  word  of  the  L>rd,  again, 
came  unto  Joseph,  the  Seer,  saying, 
"Before  the  great  day  of  the  Lord 
shall  come,  Jacob  shall  flourish  in  the 
wilderness, and  the  Lamanites''  (mean- 
ing the  American  Indians)  "  shall 
blossom  as  the  rose.  Zion  shall  flour- 
ish upon  the  hills,  and  rejoice  upon 
the  mountains,  and  shall  bo  assembled 
together  unto  the  placo  which  I  have 
appointed."  (page  218.)  Thus  we  see 
that  twenty-two  years  ago,  it  was 
foretold  in  great  plainness  that  Zion 
should  flourish  and  r^joir-e  upon  the 
hills  and  mountains  ;  when  these  pro- 
phecies were  given,  we  did  not  know, 
for  many  years,  how  nor  when  the 
Lord  intended  to  fulfil  diem,  but  fif- 
teen years  after  the  prediction,  the 
Lord  suffered  our  enemies  to  rise 
against  us,  and  we  were  driven  by  the 
force  of  arms  from  these  States,  and 
were  obliged  to  flee  to  the  mountains 
for  refuge ;  thus,  in  an  unexpected 
manner,  Zion  is  placed  in  her  appro- 
priate position,  and  is  truly  beginning 
to  flourish  and  rejo;ce  upon  the  hills 
and  mountains  according  to  the  pre- 
dictions of  Joseph,  the  prophet,  and 
according  to  many  predictions  of  the 
ancient  prophets.  O  how  wonderful 
are  the  dealings  of  God  with  His  peo- 
ple !  And  how  marvelously  does  He 
fulfil  the  words  of  inspiration ! 
Though  the  Heavens  and  Earth  pass 
away,  yet  the  wo  d  of  the  Lord, 
spoken  through  Joseph,  the  Seer, 
shall  not  pass  away,  but  every  jot  and 
tittle  that  has  not  already  come  to  pass, 
shall  be  fulfilled  in  its  time  and  season. 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


The  Saints  in  the  States  and  British 
Provinces  are  respectfully  invited  to 
become  subscribers  to  this  periodical, 
that  through  it.*  pages  they  may  learn 
more  perfectly  their  duties,  and  have 
a  knowledge  of  the  times,  and  seasons, 
and  purposes  of  tire  Most  High  in  re- 
gard to  the  generation  in  which  they 
live.  Those  who  intend  emigrating 
to  the  mountains,  dining  the  coming 
season,  can,  by  notifying  us  of  their ' 
intentions,  have  their  paper  sent  by 
the  mail  to  Utah.  Wheie  there  are 
branches  of  the  Church,  we  suggest 
that  they  appoint  among  themselves 
an  agent,  and  have  the  whole  number, 
taken  in  tiie  branch,  sent  in  one  pack- 
age to  rheir  ?gent;  this  arrangement  i 
will  save  us  much  trouble  which  ! 
would  otherwise  arise  by  being  obli- 
ged 10  forward  to  each  individual.        I 


The  Saints  are  likewise  informed 
that  we  shall  have  constantly  on  hand 
for  sale,  at  wholesale  and  retail,  all 
the  various  works,  mentioned  in  the 
catalogue,  published  on  the  last  page 
of  the  Seer. 

All  these  publications  should  be  in 
the  houses  of  all  the  saints,  and  should 
be  diligently  read,  that  they  may  be 
well  instructed  in  all  the  great  princi- 
ples of  eernal  salvation,  that  through 
their  faithfulness  to  the  same  they  may 
enter  into  the  fulness  of  celestial  glory. 
With  the  most  anxious  desire  for  your 
welfare,  I  subscribe  myself  your 
humble  servant  and  brother  in  the 
bonds  of  the  gospel  Covenant. 

ORSON  PRATT. 

Washington,  Dec.  20,  1852. 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE: 

A    REVELATION   ON   THE   PATRIARCHAL    ORDER    OF   MATE  DION  Y. 
OR   PLURALITY    OF   WIVES. 

Given  to  Joseph  Smith,  tlie  Seer,  in  Nauvoo,  July  12/7/,  1843. 


1.  Verily  thus  saith  the  Lord,  unto 
you  my  servant  Joseph, that  inasmuch 
as  you  have  enquired  of  my  hand,  to 
know  and  understand  wherein  I  the 
Lord  justified  my  servants,  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob ;  as  also  Moses,  David, 
and  Solomon,  my  servants,  as  touching 
the  principle  and  doctrineof  their  having 
many  wives, and  concubines:  Behold  1 
and  lo,I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  will 
answer  thee  as  touching  this  matter: 
Therefore,  prepare  thy  heart  to  receive 
and  obey  the  instructions  which  I  am 
about  to  give  unto  you ;  for  all  those, 
"who  have  this  law  revealed  unto  them, 
must  obey  the  same ;  for  behold  !  I  re- 
veal unto  you  a  new  and  an  everlasting 
covenant,  and  if  ye  abide  not  that  cove- 
nant, then  are  ye  damned  ;  for  no  one 
can  reject  this  covenant,  and  be  per- 
mitted to  enter  into  my  glory  ;  for  all 
who  will  have  a  blessing  at  my  hands, 
shall  abide  the  law  which  was  appoint- 
ed for  that  blessing,  and  the  conditions 
thereof,  as  was  instituted  from  before 
ihe  foundations  of  the  world :  and  as 


pertaining  to  the  new  and  everlasting 
covenant,  it  was  instituted  for  the  ful- 
ness of  my  glory ;  and  he  that  re- 
ceiveth  a  fulness  thereof,  must,  and 
shall  abide  the  law,  or  he  shall  be 
damned,  saith  the  Lord  God. 

2.  And  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that 
the  conditions  of  this  law  are  these: 
All  covenants,  contracts,  bonds,  obli- 
gations, oaths,  vows,  performances, 
connections,  associations,  or  expecta- 
tions, that  are  not  made,  and  entered 
into,  and  sealed,  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of 
promise,  of  him  who  is  annointed,  both 
as  well  for  time  and  for  all  eternity, 
and  that  too  most  holy,  by  revelation 
and  commandment,  through  the  medi- 
um of  mine  annointed,  whom  I  have 
appointed  on  the  earth  to  hold  this 
power,  (and  I  have  appointed  unto  my 
servant  Joseph  to  hold  this  power  in 
the  last  days,  and  there  is  never  but 
one  on  the  earth  at  a  time,  on  whom 
this  power  and  the  keys  of  this  priest- 
hood are  conferred,)  are  of  no  effica- 
cy, virtue,  or  force,  in  and  after  the 


s 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


resurrection  from  the  dead;  for  all 
contracts  that  are  not  made  unto  this 
end,  have  an  end  when  men  are  dead. 

3.  Behold '  mine  house  is  a  house 
of  order,  saith  the  Lord  God,  and  not 
a  house  of  confusion.  Will  I  accept 
of  an  offering,  saith  the  Lord,  that  is 
not  made  in  my  name  !  Or,  will  I 
receive  at  your  hands,  that  which  I 
have  not  appointed!  And  will  lap- 
point  unto  you,  saith  the  Lord,  except 
it  be  by  law,  even  as  I  and  my  Father 
ordained  unto  you,  before  the  world 
was!  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  I 
give  unto  you  this  commandment,  that 
no  man  shall  come  unto  the  Father, 
but  by  me,  or  by  my  word  which  is 
my  law,  saith  the  Lord ;  and  every- 
thing that  is  in  the  world,  whether  it 
be  ordained  of  men,  by  thrones,  or 
principalities,  or  powers,  or  things  of 
name,  whatsoever  they  may  be,  that 
are  not  by  me,  or  by  my  word,  saith 
the  Lord,  shall  be  thrown  down,  and 
shall  not  remain  after  men  are  dead, 
neither  in  nor  after  the  resurrection, 
saith  the  Lord  your  God :  for  whatso- 
ever things  remaineth,  are  by  me;  and 
whatsoever  things  are  not  by  me,  shall 
be  shaken  and  destroyed. 

4.  Therefore,  if  a  man  marry  him 
a  wife  in  the  world,  and  he  marry  her 
not  by  me,  nor  by  my  word ;  and  he 
covenant  with  her,  so  long  as  he  is  in 
the  world,  and  she  with  him,  their 
covenant  and  marriage  is  not  of  force 
when  they  are  dead,  and  when  they 
are  out  of  the  world ;  therefore,  they 
are  not  bound  by  any  law  when  they 
are  out  of  the  world;  therefore,  when 
they  are  out  of  the  world,  they  neither 
marry,  nor  are  given  in  marriage,  but 
are  appointed  angels  in  heaven,  which 
angels  are  ministering  servants,  to  min- 
ister for  those,  who  are  worthy  of  a 
far  more,  and  an  exceeding,  and  an 
eternal  weight  of  glory ;  for  these 
angels  did  not  abide  my  law,  therefore 
they  cannot  be  enlarged,  but  remain 
separately  and  singly,  without  exalta- 
tion, in  their  saved  condition, toall  eter- 
nity, and  from  henceforth  are  not  Gods, 
but  are  angels  of  God  forever  and  ever. 

5.  And  again,  verily  I  say  unto  you, 
if  a  man  marry  a  wife,  and  make  a 
covenant  with  hei  for  time,  and  for  all 


eternity,  if  that  covenant  is  not  by  me7 
or  by  my  word,  which  is  my  law,  and 
is  not  sealed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of 
promise,  through  him  whom  1  have 
anncinted  and  -  appointed  unto  this 
power,  then  it  is  not  valid,  neither  of 
force,  when  they  are  out  of  the  world, 
because  they  are  not  joined  by  me, 
saith  the  Lord,  neither  by  my  word  ; 
when  they  are  out  of  the  world,  it 
cannot  be  received  there,  because  the 
angels  and  the  Gods  are  appointed 
there,  by  whom  they  cannot  pass ; 
they  cannot,  therefore,  inherit  my 
glory,  for  my  house  is  a  house  of  or- 
der, saith  the  Lord  God. 

6.  And  again,  verily  I  say  unto  you, 
if  a  man  marry  a  wife  by  my  word, 
which  is  my  law,  and  by  the  new  and 
everlasting  covenant,  and  it  is  sealed 
unto  them  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  pro- 
mise, by  him  who  is  annointed,  unto 
whom  I  have  appointed  this  power, 
and  the  keys  of  this  priesthood,  and 
it  shall  be  said  unto  them,  ye  shall 
come  forth  in  the  first  resurrection; 
and  if  it  be  after  the  first  resur- 
rection, in  the  next  resurrection  ;  and 
shall  inherit  thrones,  kingdoms,  prin- 
cipalities, and  powers,  dominions,  all 
heights,  and  depths,  then  shall  it  be 
written  in  the  Lamb's  Book  of  Life, 
that  he  shall  commit  no  murder,  where- 
by to  shed  innocent  blood ;  and  if  ye 
abide  in  my  covenant,  and  commit  no 
murder  whereby  to  shed  innocent 
blood,  it  shall  be  done  unto  them  in 
all  things  whatsoever  my  servant  hath 
put  upon  them,  in  time,  and  through 
all  eternity ;  and  shall  be  of  full  force 
when  they  are  out  of  the  world,  and 
they  shall  pass  by  the  angels,  and  the 
Gods,  which  are  set  there,  to  their  ex- 
altation and  glory  in  all  things,  as  hath 
been  sealed  upon  their  heads,  which 
glory  shall  be  a  fulness  and  a  continu- 
ation of  the  seeds  forever  and  ever. 

7.  Then  shall  they  be  Gods,  be- 
cause they  have  no  end ;  therefore 
shall  they  be  from  everlasting  to  ever- 
lasting, because  they  continue ;  then 
shall  they  be  above  all,  because  all 
things  are  subject  unto  them.  Then 
shall  they  be  Gods,  because  they  have 
all  power,  and  the  angels  are  subject 
unto  them. 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


0 


8.  Verity,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  ex- 
cept ye  abide  my  law,  ye  cannot  at- 
tain to  this  glory ;  for  strait  is  the 
gate,  and  narrow  the  way,  that  leadeth 
unto  the  exalta'ion  and  continuation 
of  the  lives,  and  few  there  be  that 
find  it,  because  ye  receive  me  not  in 
the  world,  neither  do  ye  know  me. 
But  if  ye  receive  me  in  the  world, 
then  sball  ye  know  me,  and  shall  re- 
ceive your  exaltation,  that  where  I 
am,  ye  shall  be  also.  This  is  eter- 
nal lives  to  know  the  only  wise 
and  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ 
whom  he  bath  sent.  I  am  He. 
Receive  ye,  therefore,  my  law.  Broad 
is  the  gate,  and  wir'e  the  way  that 
leadeth  to  the  deaths ;  and  many  there 
are  that  go  in  thereat;  because  they 
receive  me  not,  neither  do  they  abide 
in  my  law. 

9.  Verily,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  if 
a  man  marry  a  wife  according  to  my 
word,  and  they  are  sealed  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  of  promise,  according  to  mine 
appointment,  and  he  or  she  shall  com- 
mit any  sin  or  transgression  of  the 
new  and  everlasting  covenant  what- 
ever, and  all  manner  of  blasphemies, 
and  if  they  commit  no  murder,  where- 
in they  shed  innocent  blood, — yet 
they  shall  come  forth  in  the  first  resur- 
rection, and  enter  into  their  exaltation, 
but  they  shall  be  destroyed  in  the 
flesh,  and  shall  be  delivered  unto  the 
buffetings  of  Satan,  unto  the  day  of 
redemption,  saith  the  Lord  God. 

10.  The  blasphemy  against  the 
Holy  Ghost,  which  shall  not  be  for- 
given  in  the  world,  nor  out  of  the 
world,  is  in  that  ye  commit  murder, 
wherein  ye  shed  innocent  blood,  and 
assent  unto  my  death,  after  ye  have 
received  my  new  and  everlasting 
covenant,  saith  the  Lord  God;  and  he 
that  abideth  not  this  law,  can  in  no- 
wise enter  into  my  glory,  but  shall  be 
damned,  saith  the  Lord. 

11.  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  and 
will  give  unto  thee  the  law  of  my 
Holy  Priesthood,  as  was  ordained  by 
me,  and  my  Father,  before  the  world 
was.  Abraham  received  all  things, 
whatsoever  he  received,  by  revela- 
tion and  commandment,  by  my  word, 
saith  the  Lord,  and  hath  entered  into 


his  exaltation,  and  sitteih   upon  his 
throne. 

12.  Abraham  received  promises 
concerning  his  seed,  and  of  the  fruit 
of  his  loins, — from  whose  loins  ye 
are,  viz,  my  servant  Joseph, — which 
were  to  continue,  so  long  as  they  were 
in  the  world;  and  as  touching  Abra- 
ham and  his  seed,  out  of  the  world, 
they  should  continue ;  both  in  the 
world  and  out  of  the  world  should  they 
continue  as  innumerable  as  the  stars; 
or,  if  ye  were  to  count  the  sand  upon 
the  sea-shore,  ye  could  not  number 
them.  This  promise  is  yours,  also, 
because  ye  are  of  Abraham,  and  the 
promise  was  made  unto  Abraham, 
and  by  this  law  are  the  continuation 
of  the  works  of  my  Father,  wherein 
he  glorifieth  himself.  Go  ye.  there- 
fore, and  do  the  works  of  Abraham  ; 
enter  ye  into  my  law,  and  ye  shall  be 
saved.  But  if  ye  enter  not  into  my 
law,  ye  cannot  receive  the  promises 
of  my  Father,  which  he  made  unto 
Abraham. 

13.  God  commanded  Abraham,  and 
Sarah  gave  Hagar  to  Abraham,  to 
wife.  And  why  did  she  do  it?  Be- 
cause this  was  the  law,  and  from  Ha- 
gar  sprang  many  people.  This, 
therefore,  was  fulfilling,  among  other 
things,  the  promises.  Was  Abra- 
ham,  therefore,  under  condemnation  ? 
Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Nay;  for  I  the 
Lord  commanded  if.  Abraham  was 
commanded  to  offer  his  son  Isaac; 
nevertheless,  it  was  written  thou 
shalt  not  kill.  Abraham  however, 
did  not  refuse,  and  it  was  accounted 
unto  him  for  righteousness. 

14.  Abiaham  received  concubines, 
and  they  bare  him  children,  and  it 
was  accounted  unto  him  for  righteous- 
ness, because  they  were  given  unto 
him,  and  he  abode  in  my  law:  as 
Isaac  also,  and  Jacob  did  none  other 
things  than  that  which  they  'were 
commanded ;  and  because  they  did 
none  other  things  than  that  which 
they  were  commanded,  they  have  en- 
tered into  their  exaltation,  according 
to  the  promises,  and  sit  upon  thrones; 
and  are  not  angels,  but  are  Gods. 
David  also  received  many  wives  and 
concubines,   as   also    Solomon,   and 


10 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


Moses   my  servant ;    as   also   many  the  heavens ;  and  whosesoever  sins 
others  of  my  servants,  from  the  be- 
ginning  of  creation  until  this  time;  and 
in  nothing  did  they  sin,  save  in  those 
things  which  they  received  not  of  n  e 

15.  David's  wives  and  concubines 
were  given  unto  him,  of  me,  by  the 
hand  of  Nathan,  my  servant,  and 
others  of  the  prophets  who  had  the 
keys  of  this  power ;  and  in  none  of 
these  things  did  he  sin  against  me, 
save  in  the  case  of  Uriah  and  his 
wife ;  and,  therefore,  he  hath  fallen 
from  his  exaltation,  and  received  his 
portion ;  and  he  shall  not 
them  out  of  the  world  ;  for 
them  unto  another,  saith  the  Lord. 

16.  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  I 
gave  unto  thee,  my  servant  Joseph, 
an  appointment,  and  restore  all  things; 
ask  what  ye  will,  and  it  shall  be  given 
unto  you,  according  to  my  word  ;  and 
as  ye  have  asked  concerning  adultery, 
verily,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  if  a  man 
receiveth  a  wife  in  the  new  and  ever- 
lasting covenant,  and  if  she  be  with 
another  man,  and  I  have  not  appoint- 
ed  unto  her  by  the  holy  annointing, 
she  hath  committed  adultery,  and 
shall  be  destroyed.  If  she  be  not  in 
the  new  and  everlasting  covenant, 
and  she  be  with  another  man,  she  has 
committed  adultery ;  and  if  her  hus- 
band be  with  another  woman,  and  he 
was  under  a  vow,  he  hath  broken  his 
vow,  and  hath  committed  adultery ; 
and  if  she  hath  not  committed  adul- 
tery, but  is  innocent,  and  hath  not 
broken  her  vow,  and  she  knoweth  it, 
and  I  reveal  it  unto  you,  my  servant 
Joseph,  then  shall  you  have  power, 
by  the  power  of  my  Holy  Priesthood, 
to  take  her,  and  give  her  unto  him 
that  hath  not  committed  adultery,  but 
hath  been  faithful,  for  he  shall  be 
made  ruler  over  many ;  for  I  have 
conferred  upon  you  the  keys  and 
power  of  the  priesthood,  wherein  I 
restore  all  things,  and  make  known 
unto  you,  all  things,  in  due  time. 

17.  And  verily,  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  that  whatsoever  you  seal  on 
earth,  shall  be  sealed  in  heaven  ;  and 
whatsoever  you  bind  on  earth,  in  my 
name,  an  1  by  my  word,  saith  the 
Lord,  it  shall  be  eternally  bound  in 


you  remit  on  earth,  shall  be  remitted 
eternally  in  the  heavens;  and  whose- 
soever sins  you  retain  on  earth,  shall 
be  retained  in  heaven. 

18.  And  again,  verily  I  say,  whom- 
soever you  bless,  I  will  bless ;  and 
whomsoever  you  curse,  I  will  curse, 
saith  the  Lord  ;  for  I,  the  Lord,  am 
thy  God. 

19  And  again,  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  my  servant  Joseph,  that  whatso- 
ever you  give  on  earth,  and  to  whom- 
soever you  give  any  one  on  earth,  by 
inherit!  my  word,  and  according  to  my  law, 
I  gave  !  it  shall  be  visited  with  blessings,  and 
not  cursings,  and  with  my  power, 
saith  the  Lord,  and  shall  be  without 
condemnation  on  earth,  and  in  hea- 
ven ;  for  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  and 
will  be  with  thee  even  unto  the  end 
of  the  world,  and  through  all  eterni- 
ty:  for  verily,  I  seal  upon  you,  your 
exaltation,  and  prepare  a  throne  for 
you  in  the  kingdom  of  my  Father, 
with  Abraham,  your  father.  Behold, 
I  have  seen  your  sacrifices,  and  will 
forgive  all  your  sins  ;  I  have  seen 
your  sacrifices,  in  obedience  to  that 
which  I  have  told  you  :  go,  therefore, 
and  I  make  a  way  for  your  escape,  as 
I  accepted  the  offering  of  Abraham, 
of  his  son  Isaac. 

20.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  a  com- 
mandment I  give  unto  mine  hand- 
maid, Emma  Smith,  your  wife,  whom 
I  have  given  unto  you,  that  she  stay 
herself,  and  partake  not  of  that  which 
I  commanded  you  to  offer  unto  her  ;  for 
I  did  it,  saith  the  Lord,  to  prove  you 
all,  as  I  did  Abraham ;  and  that  I 
might  require  an  offering  at  your 
hand,  by  covenant  and  sacrifice  :  and 
let  mine  handmaid,  Emma  Smith,  re- 
ceive  all  those  that  have  been  given 
unto  my  servant  Joseph,  and  who  are 
virtuous  and  pure  before  me  ;  and 
those  who  are  not  pure,  and  have  said 
they  were  pure,  shall  be  destroyed, 
saith  the  Lord  God ;  for  I  am  the 
Lord  thy  God,  and  ye  shall  obey  my 
voice  ;  and  I  give  unto  my  servant 
Joseph,  that  he  shall  be  made  ruler 
over  many  things,  for  he  hath  been 
faithful  over  a  few  things,  and  from 
henceforth  I  will  strengthen  him. 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


11 


21.  And  I  command  mine  hand- 
maid,  Emma  .Smith,  to  abide  and 
cleave  unto  my  servant  Joseph,  and 
to  none  else.  But  if  she  will  not 
abide  this  commandment,  she  shall 
be  destroyed,  saith  the  Lord  ;  for  I 
am  the  Lor  I  thy  God,  and  will  des- 
troy her  if  she  abide  not  in  my  law; 
but  if  she  will  not  abide  th;s  com- 
mandment, then  shall  my  servant 
Joseph  do  all  things  for  her,  even  as 
he  hath  said ;  and  I  will  bless  him, 
and  multiply  him,  and  give  unto  him 
an  hundre  I  fold  in  (his  world,  of  fa- 
thers a;i '.  mothers,  brothers  and  sis- 
ters,  houses  and  lands,  wives  and 
children,  and  crowns  of  eternal  lives 
in  the  eternal  worlds.  And  again, 
verily  I  say,  let  mine  handmaid  for- 
give my  servant  Joseph  his  trespasse  , 
and  then  shall  she  be  forgiven  her 
trespasses,  wherein  she  hath  tres- 
passed against  me  ;  and  I  the  Lord 
thy  God  will  bless  her,  and  multiply 
her,  anil  make  her  heart  to  rejoice. 

22.  And  again,  I  say,  let  not  my 
servant  Joseph  put  his  property  out 
of  his  hands,  lest  an  enemy  come  and 
destroy  him,  for  Satan  seeketh  to  des- 
troy ;  for  lam  the  Lord  thy  God,  and 
he  is  my  servant;  and  behold  !  and 
lo,  I  am  with  him,  as  I  was  with  Abra- 
ham, thy  father,  even  unto  his  exalta- 
tion and  glory. 

23.  Now  as  touching  the  law  of  the 
priesthood,  there  are  many  things  per- 
tabling  thereunto.  Verily,  if  a  man  be 
called  of  my  Father,  as  was  Aaron,  by 
mine  own  voice,  and  by  the  voice  of 
him  that  sent  me,  and  I  have  endowed 
him  with  the  keys  of  the  power  of  this 
priesthood,  if  he  do  anything  in  my 
name,  and  according  to  my  law,  and  by 
my  word,  he  will  not  commit  sin,  and  I 
will  justify  him.  Let  no  one,  there- 
fore, set  on  my  servant  Joseph  ;  for  I 
will  justify  him  ;  for  he  shall  do  the 
sacrifice  which  I  require  at  his  hands, 
for  his  transgressions,  saith  the  Lord 
your  God. 

24.  And  again,  as  pertaining  to  the 
law  of  the  priesthood ; — if  any  man 
espouse  a  virgin,  and  desire  to  es- 
pouse another,  and  the  first  give  her 
consent ;  and  if  he  espouse  the  sec- 
ond, and  they  are  virgins,  and  have 


vowed  to  no  other  man,  then   is  he 
justified;   he  cannot  commit  adultery, 
for  they  are   given  unto  him  ;  for  he 
cannot    commit    adultery  with   that, 
thai  belongeth  unto  him,  and  to  none 
else:    and    if  he    have    ten    virgins 
given   unto   him  by  this  law,  he  can- 
not commit  adultery  ;  for  they  belong 
to    him  ;    and    they    are    given   unto 
him; — therefore  is  he  justified.     Hut 
if  one,  or  either  of  the   ten   virgins, 
alter  she   is   espoused,  shall   be   with 
another  man,  she  has  committed  adul- 
tery, and  shall  be  .1  (stroye  I  :  for  they 
I  are  given  unto  him  to  multiply  and 
replenish  the  earth,  according  to  my 
i  commandment,  and  to  fulfil   the  pro- 
!  mise  which  was  given  by  my  Father 
I  before   the   foundation  of  the    world  : 
I  and  for  their  exaltation  in  the  eternal 
I  worlds,  that  they  may  bear  the  souls 
of  men ;  for  herein   is   the   work  of 
my  Father  continued,  that  he  may  be 
glorified. 

25.  And  again,  verily,  verily  I  say 
unto  you,  if  any  man  have  a  tvife  who 
holds  the  keys  of  this  power,  and  he 
teaches  unto  her  the  law  of  my  priest, 
hood,  as  pertaining  to  ihe^e  things  ; 
then  shall  she  believe,  and  administer 
unto  him,  or  she  shall  be  destroyed, 
saith  the  Lord  your  God  ;  for  I  will 
destroy  her;  for  I  will  magnify  my 
name  upon  all  those  who  receive  and 
abide  in  my  law.  Therefore,  it  shall 
be  lawful  in  me,  if  she  receive  not 
this  law,  for  him  to  receive  all  things, 
whatsoever  I  the  Lord  his  God  will 
give  unto  him,  because  she  did  not 
believe  and  administer  unto  him,  ac- 
cording to  my  word  ;  and  she  then 
becomes  the  transgressor,  and  he  is 
exempt  from  the  law  of  Sarah,  who 
administered  unto  Abraham  accord- 
ing to  the  law,  when  I  commanded 
Abraham  to  take  Hagar  to  wife. — 
And  now.  as  pertaining  to  this  law, — 
verily,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  I  will 
reveal  more  unto  you,  hereafter ; 
therefore,  let  this  suffice  for  the  pre- 
sent. — Behold,  I  am  Alpha  and 
Omega : — Ameit.  " 

PLURALITY  OF  WIVES  is  a  doc- 
trine very  popular  among  most  of 
mankind  at    the  present    day.     It  is 


12 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


practiced  by  the  most  powerful  nations 
of  Asia  and  Africa,  and  by  numerous 
nations,  inhabiting  the  Islands  of  the 
sea,  and  by  the  Aboriginal  nations  of 
the  great  Western  Hemisphere.  The 
one  wife  system  is  confined  principally 
to  a  few  small  nations,  inhabiting 
Europe  and  to  those  who  are  of  Eu- 
ropean origin,  inhabiting  America. 
It  is  estimated  by  the  most  able  his- 
torians of  our  day  that  about  four-fifths 
of  the  population  of  the  globe,  be- 
lieve and  practice,  according  to  their 
respective  laws,  the  doctrine  of  a  Plu- 
rality of  Wives.  If  the  popularity  of 
a  doctrine  is  in  proportion  to  the  num- 
bers who  believe  in  it,  then  it  follows 
that  the  Plurality  system  is  four  times 
more  popular  among  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth,  than  the  one  ivife  system. 
Those  nations  who  practice  the 
Plurality  doctrine  consider  it  as  vir- 
tuous and  as  right  for  one  man  to 
have  many  wives,  as  to  have  one  only. 
Therefore,  they  have  enacted  laws, 
not  only  giving  this  right  to  their  citi- 
zens, but  also  protecting  them  in  it, 
and  punishing  all  those  who  infringe 
upon  the  chastity  of  the,  marriage  cove- 
nant by  committing  adultery  with  any 
one  of  the  wives  of  his  neighbor. 
Those  nations  do  not  consider  it  pos- 
sible for  a  man  to  commit  adultery 
with  any  one  of  those  women  to 
whom  he  has  been  legally  married  ac- 
cording to  their  laws.  The  posterity 
raised  up  unto  the  husband  through 
each  of  his  wives,  are  all  considered 
to  be  legitimate,  and  provisions  are 
made  in  their  laws  for  those  children, 
the  same  as  if  they  were  the  children 
of  one  wife.  Adulteries,  fornications, 
and  all  unvirtuous  conduct  between 
the  sexes,  are  severely  punished  by 
them.  Indeed,  Plurality  among  them 
is  considered,  not  only  virtuous  and 
right,  but  a  great  check  or  preventa- 
tive against  adulteries  and  unlawful 
connections  which  are  among  the 
greatest  evils  with  which  nations  are 
cursed,  producing  a  vast  amount  of 
suffering  and  misery,  devastation  and 
death  ;  undermining  the  very  founda- 
tions of  happiness,  and  destroying 
the  frame-work  of  society,  and  the 
peace  of  the  domestic  circle. 


Some  of  the  nations  of  Europe  who 
believe  in  the  one  wife  system  have 
actually  forbidden  a  plurality  of  wives 
by  their  laws;  and  the  consequences 
are  that  the  whole  country  among 
them  is  overrun  with  the  most  abomi- 
ble  practices  ?  adulteries  and  unlaw- 
ful connections  prevail  through  all 
their  villages,  towns,  cities,  and  coun- 
try places  to  a  most  fearful  extent. 
And  among  some  of  these  nations 
these  sinks  of  wickedness,  wretched- 
ness, and  misery,  are  licensed  by  law ; 
while  their  piety  would  be  wonder- 
fully shocked  to  authorize  by  law  the 
Plurality  system,  as  adopted  by  many 
neighboring  nations. 

The  Constitution  and  laws  of  the 
United  States,  being  founded  upon  the 
principles  of  freedom,  do  not  inter- 
fere with  marriage  relations,  but  leave 
the  nation  free  to  believe  in  and  prac- 
tice the  doctrine  of  a  Plurality  of 
wives,  or  to  confine  themselves  to  the 
one  wife  system  just  as  they  choose. 
This  is  as  it  should  be  ;  it  leaves  the 
conscience  of  man  untrammeled,  and 
so  long  as  he  injures  no  person,  and 
does  not  infringe  upon  the  rights 
of  others,  he  is  free  by  the  Constitu- 
tion to  marry  one  wife,  or  many,  or 
none  at  all,  and  becomes  accountable 
to  God,  for  the  righteousness  or  un- 
righteousness of  his  domestic  relations. 

The  Constitution  leaves  the  several 
States  and  Territories  to  enact  such 
laws  as  they  see  proper  in  regard  to 
Marriages,  provided  that  they  do  not 
infringe  upon  the  rights  of  conscience 
and  the  liberties  guaranteed  in  that  sa- 
cred document.  Therefore,  if  any 
State  or  Territory  feels  disposed  to 
enact  laws,  guaranteeing  to  each  of  its 
citizens  the  right  to  marry  many  wives, 
such  laws  would  be  perfectly  consti- 
tutional ;  hence,  the  several  States  and 
Territories  practice  the  one  wife  sys- 
tem out  of  choice,  and  not  because 
they  are  under  any  obligations  so  to 
do  by  the  National  Constitution.  In- 
deed, we  doubt  very  much,  whether 
any  State  or  Territory  has  the  con- 
stitutional right  to  make  laws,  pro- 
hibiting the  Plurality  doctrine  in  cases 
where  it  is  practiced  by  religious  so- 
cieties, as  a  matter  of  conscience  or 


CFXESTfAL    MARRIAGE. 


13 


as  a  doctrine  of  their  religious  faith. 
The  frst  Article  of  the  Amendments 
to  the  Constitution  says,  expressly, 
that  "  Congress  shall  make  no  law  re- 
specting an  establishment  of  religion, 
or  prohibiting  the  fr-e  exercise  there- 
of." Now  if  even  Congress,  itself, 
has  no  power  to  pass  a  law  M  prohibit- 
ing the  free  exercise  of  Religion," 
much  less  has  any  State  or  Territory 
power  to  pass  such  an  act. 

The  doctrine  of  a  Plurality  of 
Wives  was  believed  and  practise  1  by 
Abraham,  the  father  of  the  faithful  ; 
and  we  find  that  while  in  this  prac- 
tice the  angels  of  God  frequently  min- 
istered to  him,  and  at  one  time  dined 
with  him;  and  God  manifested  Him- 
self to  him,  and  entered  into  familiar 
conversation  with  him.  Neither  God 
nor  His  angels  reproved  Abraham  for 
beinga  Polygamist.  but  on  the  contrary, 
the  Almighty  greatly  blessed  him  and 
made  promises  unto  him,  concerning 
both  Isaac  and  Ishmael,  clearly  show- 
ing that  Abraham  practiced,  what  is 
caller ,  Polygamy,  under  the  sanction 
of  the  Almighty.  Now  if  the  lather 
of  the  faithful  was  thus  blessed,  cer- 
tainly it  should  not  be  considered  ir- 
religious for  t'le  faithful  whoare  called 
his  children  to  walk  in  the  steps  of 
their  father  Abraham.  Indeed,  if  the 
Lord,  Himself,  through  His  holy  pro- 
phets, should  give  more  wives  unto 
his  servants,  as  He  gave  them  unto 
the  prophet  David,  it  would  be  a  great 
sin  for  them  to  refuse  that  which  He 
gives.  In  such  a  case,  it  would  become 
a  matter  of  conscience  with  them,  and 
a  part  of  their  religion,  and  they 
would  be  bound  lo  exercise  their  faith 
in  this  doctrine,  and  practice  it,  or 
be  condemned ;  therefore,  Congress 
would  have  no  power  to  prohibit  the 
free  exercise  of  this  part  of  their  re- 
ligion 5  neither  would  the  States  or 
Territories  have  power,  Constitution- 
ally, to  pass  a  law  "  prohibiting  the 
free  exercise  thereof."  Now  a  cer- 
tain religious  society,  called  Shakers, 
believe  it  to  be  wrong  for  them  to 
marry  even  one  wife ;  it  certainly 
would  be  unconstitutional  for  either 
the  Congress  or  the  States  to  pass  a 
a  law,  compelling  all  people  to  marry 


at  a  certain  age,  because  it  would  in- 
fringe upon  the  rights  of  conscience 
among  the  Shakers,  and  thev  would 
be  prohibited  the  free  exercise  of  their 
religion. 

From  the  foregoing  Revelation, 
given  through  Joseph,  the  Seer,  it 
will  be  seen  that  God  has  actually 
commanded  some  of  His  servants  to 
take  more  wives,  and  has  pointed  out 
certain  duties  in  regard  to  the  mar- 
riage  ceremony,  showing  that  they 
must  be  married  for  time  and  for  all 
eternity,  and  showing  the  advantages 
to  be  derived  in  a  future  state  by 
this  eternal  union,  and  showing,  still 
further,  that,  if  they  refused  to  obey 
this  command,  after  having  the  law 
revealed  to  them,  they  should  be 
damned.  This  revelation,  then, 
makes  it  a  matter  of  conscience 
among  all  the  Latter-Day  Saints; 
and  they  embrace  it  as  a  part  and 
portion  of  their  religion,  and  verily 
.beileve  that  they  cannot  be  saved  and 
reject  it.  Has  Congress  power, 
then,  to  pass  laws,  "  prohibiting  "  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
Day  Saints,  "the  free  exercise."  of 
this  article  of  their  religion  ?  Have 
any  of  the  States  or  Territories  a 
constitutional  right  to  pass  laws  "  pro- 
hibiting the  free  exercise  of  the  reli- 
gion "  which  the  church  of  the  Saints 
conscienciou-ly  and  sincerely  believe 
to  be  essential  to  their  salvation? 
No  :  they  have  no  such  right. 

The  Latter- Day  Saints  have  the 
most  implicit  confidence  in  all  the 
revelations,  given  through  Joseph,  the 
prophet ;  and  they  would  much  sooner 
lay  down  their  lives  and  suffer  mar- 
tyrdom, than  to  deny  the  least  reve- 
lation  that  was  ever  given  to  him.  In 
one  of  the  revelations  through  him, 
we  read  that  God  raised  up  wise 
men  and  inspired  them  to  write  the 
Constitution  of  our  country,  that  the 
freedom  of  the  people  might  be 
maintained,  according  to  the  free 
agency  which  He  had  given  to  them; 
that  every  man  might  be  accountable 
to  God  and  not  to  man,  so  far  as  re- 
ligious doctrines  and  conscience  are 
concerned.    And  the  more  we  exam- 


H 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


ine  that  sacred  instrument,  framed  by 
the  wisdom  of  our  illustrious  fathers, 
the  more  we  are  compelled  to  believe 
that  an  invisible  power  controlled, 
dictated,  and  guided  them  in  laying 
the  foundation  of  liberty  and  freedom 
upon  this  great  Western  Hemisphere. 
To  this  land  the  Mahomedan — the 
Hindoo — the  Chinese  can  emigrate 
and  each  bring  with  him  his  score 
of  wives  and  his  hundred  children, 
and  the  glorious  Constitution  of  our 
country  will  not  interfere  with  his 
domestic  relations.  Under  the  broad 
banner  of  the  Constitution  he  is  pro- 
tected  in  all  his  family  associations  : 
none  have  a  right  to  tare  any  of  his 
wives  or  his  children  from  him.  So 
likewise,  under  the  broad  folds  of  the 
Constitution,  the  Legislative  Assem- 
bly  of  the  Territory  of  Utah  have 
the  right  to  pass  laws,  regulating  their 
matrimonial  relations,  and  protecting 
each  of  their  citizens  in  the  right  of 
marrying,  one  or  many  wives,  as  the 
case  may  be.  If  Congress  should 
repeal  those  laws,  they  could  not  do 
so  on  the  ground  of  their  being  un- 
constitutional. And  even,  if  Con- 
gress should  repeal  them,  there  still 
would  be  no  law  in  Utah,  prohibiting 
the  free  exercise  of  that  religious 
right :  neither  do  the  citizens  of  Utah 
feel  disposed  to  pass  such  an  uncon- 
stitutional act  which  would  infringe 
upon  the  most  sacred  rights  of  con- 
science. 

Tradition  and  custom  have  great 
influence  over  nations.  Long  estab- 
lished customs,  whether  right  or 
wrong,  become  sacred  in  the  estima- 
tion of  Mankind.  Those  nations 
who  have  been  accustomed  from 
time  immemorial  to  the  practice  of 
what  is  called  Polygamy,  would  con- 
sider  a  law  abolishing  it,  as  the  very 
height  of  injustice  and  oppression  ; 
the  very  idea  of  being  limited  to  the 
one  wife  system,  would  be  considered 
not  only  oppressive  and  unjust,  but 
absolutely  absurd  and  ridiculous  ;  it 
would  be  considered  an  innovation 
upon  the  long  established  usages, 
customs,  and  laws  of  numerous  and 
powerful    nations — an   innovation   of 


the  most  dangerous  character,  cal- 
culated to  destroy  the  most  sacred 
rights  and  privileges  of  family  asso- 
ciations — to  upset  the  very  founda- 
tions of  individual  rights,  rendered 
dear  and  sacred  by  being  handed 
down  to  them  from  the  most  remote 
ages  of  antiquity. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  European 
nations  who  have  been  for  centuries 
restricted  by  law  to  the  one  wife 
theory,  would  consider  it  a  shocking 
innovation  upon  the  customs  of  their 
fathers  to  abolish  their  restrictive 
laws,  and  to  give  freedom  and  liberty, 
according  to  the  plurality  system. 
It  is  custom,  then,  in  a  great  de- 
gree, that  forms  the  conscience  of 
nations  and  individuals  in  regard  to 
the  marriage  relationships.  Cus- 
tom causes  four-hfths  of  the  popula- 
tion of  the  globe  to  decide  that  Poly- 
gamy, as  it  is  called,  is  a  good,  and 
not  an  evil  practice  ;  custom  causes 
the  balance,  or  the  remaining  fifth, 
to  decide  in  opposition  to  the  great 
majority. 

Those  individuals  who  have 
strength  of  mind  sufficient  to  divest 
themselves  entirely  from  the  influence 
of  custom,  and  examine  the  doctrine 
of  a  Plurality  of  Wives  under  the 
light  of  reason  and  Revelation,  will 
be  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is 
a  doctrine  of  Divine  origin  ;  that  it 
was  embraced  and  practised  under 
the  Divine  sanction,  by  the  most 
righteous  men  who  ever  lived  on  the 
earth  ;  holy  Prophets  and  Patriarchs 
who  were  inspired  by  the  Holy 
Ghost — who  were  enwrapt  in  the 
visions  of  the  Almighty — who  con- 
versed with  holy  angels — who  saw 
God  face  to  face,  and  talked  with  Him 
as  a  man  talks  with  his  friend — were 
"Polygamists,"  that  is,  they  had 
many  wives — raised  up  many  chil- 
dren by  them — and  were  never  re- 
proved, by  the  Holy  Ghost,  ncr  by 
Angels,  nor  by  the  Almighty  for  be- 
lieving  in  and  practicing  such  a  doc- 
trine ;  on  the  contrary,  each  one  of 
these  ''Polygamists"  received,  by 
revelation,  promises  and  blessings 
for  himself,  for  his  wives,  and  for  his 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


15 


numerous  children,  horn  unto  him  \  the  gospel  covenant  were  still  obliged 
by  his  numerous  wives.  Moreover, '  to  obey  ;  and  until  we  can  find  some 
the  Lord,  Himself,  gave  revelation  to  i  law  of  God  abolishing  and  prohibit- 
different  wives,  belonging  to  the  same  j  ing  a  plurality  of  wives,  we  are  com- 
man,   revealing  to  them    the    great  j  pelled  to  believe  it  a  Divine   institu- 


blessings  which  should  rest  upon 
their  posterity ;  angels  also  were 
sent  to  comfort  and  bless  them  ;  and 
in  no  instance  do  we  find  them  re- 
proved for  having  joined  themselves 
in  marriage  to  a  "  Polygamist,"  In- 
deed,  the  Lord,  Himself,  gave  laws, 


tion  ;  and  we  are,  furthermore,  com- 
pelled to  believe,  that  if  this  institu- 
tion be  entered  into  now,  under  the 
same  principles  which  governed  the 
holy  Prophets  and  Patriarchs,  that 
God  will  approbate  it  now  as  much 
as  He  did  then  ;  and   that   the   per- 


not  to  prohibit  "Polygamy,"  but  j  sons  who  do  thus  practice  it  conscien- 
showing  His  will  in  relation  to  the  I  tiously  and  sincerely,  are  just  a»  hon- 
children  raised  up  by  the  different  I  orable  in  the  sight  of  God,  as  those 
wives  of  the  same  man;  and  further-  who  have  but  one  wife.  And  that 
more,  the  Lord,  Himself,  actually  offi-  which  is  honorable  before  God  should 
ciated  in  giving  David  all  the  wives  of  be  honorable  before  men;  and  no 
Saul ;  this  occurred,  too,  when  David   one  should  be  despised  when  he  acts 


already  had  several  wives  which  he 
had  previously  taken  :  therefore,  as 
the  Lord  did  actually  give  into  Da- 
vid's own  bosom  all  the  wives  of 
Saul,  He  must  not  only  have  sanc- 
tioned '.'  Polygamy,"  but  established 
and  instituted  it  upon  a  sure  fbunda- 
tion  by  giving  the  wives,  Himself, 
the  same  as  he  gave  Eve  to  Adam. 
Therefore,  those  who  are  completely 
divested  from  the    influence   of  Na- 


in  all  good  conscience  upon  any  prin- 
ciple  of  doctrine  ;  neither  should 
there  be  laws  in  any  of  these  States 
or  Territories  to  compel  any  indi- 
vidual to  act  in  violation  to  the  dic- 
tates of  his  own  conscience  :  but 
every  one  should  be  left  in  all  mat- 
ters of  religion  to  his  own  choice, 
and  thus  become  accountable  to  God, 
and  not  to  his  fellow  man. 

If  the  people  of  this  country  have 


tional  customs,  and  who  judge  con-  generally  formed  different  conclusions 
cerning  this  matter  by  the  word  of  j  from  us  upon  this  subject;  and  if 
God,  are  compelled  to  believe,  that  the  j  they  have  embraced  religions  which 
Plurality  of  wives  was  once  sanction-  (  are  more  congenial  to  their  minds 
ed,  for  many  ages,  by  the  Almighty;  j  than  the  religion  of  the  Saints,  we 
and  by  a  still  further  research  of  the   say  to  them  that  they  are  welcome  to 


Divine  oracles,  they  find  no  intima 
tious  that  this  Divine  institution  was 
ever  repealed.     It  was  an  institution, 


their  own  religious  views  ;  the  laws 
should  not  interfere  with  the  exercise 
of  their  religious  rights.     If  we  can- 


not originated  under  the  law  of  Mo- 1  not  convince  you  by  reason  nor  by 
ses,  but  it  was  of  a  far  more  ancient  i  the  word  of  God,  that  your  religion 
date  ;  and  ins'ead  of  being  abolished  |  is  wrong,  we  will  not  persecute  you, 
by  that  law,  it  was  sanctioned  and  !  but  will  sustain  you  in  the  privileges, 
perpetuated  :  and  when  Christ  came  i  guaranteed  in  the  great  Charter  of 
to  fulfil  that  law,  and  to  do  it  away  j  American  Liberty  :  we  ask  from  you 
by  the  introduction  of  a  better  Cove- ]  the  same  generosity — protect  us  in 
nant,  He  did  not  abolish  the  plurality  j  the  exercise  of  our  religious  rights — 
system:  not  being  originated  under  !  convince  us  of  our  errors  of  doctrine, 
that  law,  it  was  not  made  null  and  j  if  we  have  any,  by  reason,  by  logical 
void  when  that  law  was  done  away,  arguments,  or  by  the  word  of  God, 
Indeed,  there  were  many  things  in  and  we  will  be  ever  grateful  for  the 
connection  with  the  law  that  were  information,  and  you  will  ever  have 
not  abolished  when  the  law  was  ful-  the  pleasing  reflection  that  you  have 
filled  ;  as  for  instance,  the  ten  com-  been  instruments  in  the  hands  of 
mandments  which  the  people  under  i  God  of  redeeming  your  fellow  beings 


16  CATALOGUE  OF  WORKS,  CONTENTS,  &C. 

from   the   darkness  which  you   maypute   it  to  the  weakness  and  imper 
see  enveloping  their  minds.     Come,'  fections  of  our  fallen  natures,  and  let 


then,  let  us  reason  together,  and  try 
to  discover  the  true  light  upon  all 
subjects,  connected  with  our  tempo- 
ral or  eternal  happiness  ;  and  if  we 
disagree,  in  our  judgments,  let  us  im- 


us  pity  each  other,  and  endeavor  with 
patience  and   meekness   to    reclaim 
from   error,  and   save   the   immortal 
soul  from  an  endless  death. 
(To  be  continued.) 


A  CATALOGUE  OF  WORKS, 

FOB    SALE    BT 

ORSON  PRATT,  WASHINGTON,  D.  C, 

AND 

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CONTENTS. 

Procpectus  of  the  Seer » » •  1 

First  Epistle  of  Orson  Pratt 3 

Cele-tial  Marriage 7 

Catalogue  of  Works *  16 


»  WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.  C. 
Edited  and  Published  by  Orson  Pratt, 
at  $1  per  annum,  invariably  in  advance. 


All  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  He 
liftcth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains. — Isaiah  xvm,  3. 


Vol.  I. 


FEBRUARY,  1853. 


No.  2. 


THE  PRE-EXISTENCE  OF  MAN. 


1.  Man  in  this  life  consists  of  a 
body  of  flesh  and  bones  quickened  and 
animated  by  a  living  intelligent  spirit. 
It  has  been  supposed  that  spirit  be- 
gins  to  exist  within  the  mortal  taberna- 
cle while  it  is  yet  in  embryo,  and  that 
prior  to  the  organization  of  the  body, 
the  spirit  had  no  existence.  These 
are  the  views  of  modern  Christendom. 

We  shall  endeavor  to  prove  that  this 
view  of  the  subject  is  incorrect. 

2.  There  is  not  anything  unreason- 
able in  the  pre-existence  of  spirits. 
If  spirits  can  exist  after  death  in  a 
state  of  happiness  or  misery,  is  there 
any  reason,  why  they  can  not  exist 
prior  to  the  organization  of  the  body? 
If  they  can  think,  and  will,  and  move 
after  they  leave  the  body,  why  can 
they  not  exercise  these  functions  be- 
fore they  take  possession  of  the  body? 
If  the  destruction  of  the  body  is  not 
the  death  of  the  spirit,  then  it  must 
be  admitted  that  the  spirit  is  in  no 
way  dependant  on  the  body  for  its  ex- 
istence, and,  therefore,  it  can  exist 
prior  to  the  body,  as  well  as  after  it. 
The  disorganization  of  the  body  does 
not  deprive  the  spirit  of  life,  neither 
does  the  organization  of  the  body 
give  to  the  spirit  life  ;  it  possesses 
life  in  itself.  Life  and  intelligence  are 
not  the  result  of  organization,  but  they 
are  the  cause  ;  and,  therefore,  they 
must  exist  before  the  effects  can  fol- 
low.     Our  bodies   are    formed   from 


the  dust  of  the  earth,  but  are  our  spirits  same  time.     Now  we  read  that  God 


made  from  the  same  materials  ?  If 
they  were,  then  they  would,  at  death, 
return  to  dust;  but  as  they  are  not 
reduced  to  dust,  like  the  body,  they 
must  be  formed  of  materials  far  su- 
perior to  those  of  the  earth.  Where 
did  those  materials  come  from  ?  They 
came  from  God.  Solomon,  when 
speaking  upon  the  subject  of  death, 
says,  "Then  shall  the  dust  return  to 
the  earth  as  it  was:  and  the  spirit 
shall  RETURN  unto  God  who  gave 
it."  _  (Eccles.  12:  7.)  According 
to  this  passage,  the  spirit  has,  not  an 
earthly  origin,  but  a  heavenly  one: 
it  came  from  God — it  returns  to  God. 
"  God  who  gave  it,"  also  receives  it 
back  into  His  presence. 

3.  Could  the  spirit  return  to  God, 
if  it  never  were  in  His  presence  ? 
Could  we  return  to  a  place  where 
we  never  were  before  ?  If,  then,  the 
spirits  of  men  existed  with  God,  and 
came  from  Him  to  animate  mortal 
bodies,  they  must  either  be  created 
in  Heaven  at  the  time  the  infant 
tabernacles  are  being  formed,  or  else 
they  existed  before.  If  the  spirit  is 
formed  in  Heaven  at  the  time  the 
earthly  house  is  being  prepared  for 
its  reception,  then  God  must  have 
been  engaged  in  the  work  of  crea- 
ting spirits  at  the  rate  of  about  ten 
millions  per  year,  or  about  twenty  spir- 
its per  minute,  which  is  the  average 
number  born   into  our  world  in  the 


18 


THE   FRE-EXISTENCE    OF   MAN. 


made  all  things,  pertaining  to  our 
earth  in  six  days,  and  rested  on  the 
seventh.  Can  we  suppose,  for  one 
moment,  that  God  neglected  the  for- 
mation of  spirits  in  the  grand  work 
of  creation  ?  Can  we  suppose  that 
he  has  been  engaged  in  creating  hu- 
man spirits  for  this  earth,  at  the  rate 
of  one  every  three  seconds,  ever  since 
He  pronounced  the  Heavens  and  the 
earth  and  all  things  therein  finished 
and  very  good?  Such  an  idea  is  in- 
consistant  and  unscriptural. 

4.  Again,  would  a  good  and  wise 
Being  create  spirits,  and  before  they 
had  time  to  prove  themselves  by 
obeying  or  disobeying  His  laws, 
thrust  them  out  of  His  presence, — 
banish  them  from  His  glorious  king- 
dom,— shut  them  up  in  earthly  taber- 
nacles, hide  His  face  from  them,  and 
subject  them  to  temptation,  wretch- 
edness, and  misery  ?  Now,  if  we 
suppose  that  the  spirit  is  formed  in 
Heaven,  while  the  embryo  tabernacle 
is  being  formed  upon  the  earth,  then 
it  has  no  time  to  gain  experience  in 
the  presence  of  its  Creator ;  it  has 
no  time  to  act  upon  its  agency ;  it 
has  no  time  to  obey  or  disobey;  but 
as  soon  as  it  is  formed,  it  is,  accord- 
ing to  this  supposition,  banished  into 
dreary  exile  from  the  presence  of  its 
Father,  and  from  the  glory  of  Heaven, 
to  linger  out  a  life  of  sorrow  in  an 
earthly  tabernacle.  Such  a  supposi- 
tion is  absurd,  and  at  war  with  the 
atributes  of  goodness,  justice,  and 
mercy  which  appertain  to  the  Deity. 

5.  Inasmuch  as  Scripture  informs 
us  that  the  spirit  of  man  existed  with 
God,  and  came  from  Him,  and  returns 
to  Him,  it  is  reasonable  to  believe 
that  its  formation  took  place  at  a 
period  anterior  to  the  organization  of 
the  body.  This  period  of  pre-exis- 
tence  must  have  been  sufficiently 
long  to  have  educated  and  instructed 
the  spirit  in  the  laws  and  order  of 
government,  pertaining  to  the  spirit- 
ual world  ;  to  have  rendered  itself  ap- 
proved or  disapproved  by  those  laws  ; 
to  have  been  tried  in  all  points,  ac- 
cording to  its  capacities  and  know- 
ledge, and  the  free  agency  which  al- 
ways accompanies  and  forms  a  part 


of  the  nature  of  intelligent  beings  % 
in  fine,  the  period  of  pie-existence 
must  have  been  sufficiently  long  to 
have  constituted  a  probationary  state, 
or  the  " First  Estate"  wherein  the 
spirits  are  on  trial,  and  may  fall,  and 
be  reserved  in  chains  of  darkness  un- 
to the  judgment  of  the  great  day. 

6.  The  pre-existence  of  man  is  a 
doctrine  which  was  believed  by  the 
ancients.  The  disciples  of  Jesus, 
when  observing  a  man  who  had  been 
blind  from  his  birth,  put  the  follow- 
ing  question  to  their  Master  :  "  Who 
did  sin,  this  man,  or  his  parents,  that 
he  was  born  blind?"  (John  9  :  2.) 
It  is  evident,  from  the  nature  of  this 
question,  that  the  disciples  considered 
it  possible  for  a  man  to  sin  before  he 
was  born  ;  and  that  in  consequence 
of  such  sin,  he  might  be  "  bom  blind." 
This  passage  shows  most  clearly, 
that  the  disciples,  not  only  believed 
in  the  pre-existence  of  man,  but  be- 
lieved that  he  was  an  intelligent 
agent,  governed  by  laws  which  he 
was  capable  of  obeying  or  disobey- 
ing, and  that  his  sins  in  his  former 
state  might  be  the  cause  of  his  being 
born  blind,  and  that  his  condition  in 
his  present  state  was  affected  by  his 
acts  in  the  former  state.  The  Sav- 
iour, in  replying  to  this  question,  says, 
"Neither  hath  this  man  sinned,  nor 
his  parents  :  but  that  the  works  of 
God  should  be  made  manifest  in  him." 
(verse  3.)  Now,  if  the  pre-existence 
of  man  were  not  a  true  doctrine, 
why  did  not  our  Saviour  take  this 
opportunity  to  correct  the  ideas  of 
his  disciples,  by  telling  them  that  the 
blind  man  could  not  sin  before  he 
was  born  ?  Why  did  he  merely  tell 
them  that  his  blindness  was  not  the 
effects  of  the  sins  of  himself  or  pa- 
rents ?  Why  did  he  still  leave  the 
impression  upon  their  minds  that  the 
blind  man  had  a  pre-existence? 

7.  Jesus,  himself,  believed  in  pre- 
existence  :  for  he  said,  "I  proceeded 
forth  and  came  from  God  ;  neither 
came  I  of  myself,  but  he  sent  me." 
And,  again,  he  said,  "Before  Abra- 
ham was,  I  am."  (John  8  :  42,  58.) 
Jesus  prays  thus:  "And  now,  O 
Father,  glorify  thou  me  with  thine 


THE   PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


19 


own  self  with  the  glory  which  I  had  \  One  :  for  which  cause  He  is  not 
with  thee  before  the  world  was."  j  ashamed  to  call  them  brethren." 
(John  17:  5.)  From  these  sayings,  (Heb.  2  :  11.)  That  the  brethren, 
we  perceive  that  the  spiritual  body  of  here  spoken  of,  are  the  sons  of  God, 
Jesus  existed  "before  the  world  was."  I  begotten  by  the  same  Father  that 
8.  Having  proved  that  the  pre-ex-  Jesus  was,  is  evident  from  another 
tence  of  man  is  reasonable  and  scrip  saying  of  the  Apostle,  "We  have  had 
tural,  we   shall  next   prove   that  this  '  fathers  of  our  flesh  which  corrected 


pre-existence  can  be  traced  back  to 
a  period  before  the  foundation  of 
the  world.  The  Lord  asked  a 
question  of  Job  in  relation  to 
this  matter:  He  inquires,  "Where 
wast  thou  when  I  laid  the  foundations 


us,  and  we  gave  them  reverence 
shall  we  not  much  rather  be  in  sub- 
jection unto  the  FATHER  OF 
SPIRITS,  and  live  ?"  (Heb.  12  :  9.) 
Our  earthly  fathers  are  called,  the 
fathers  of  our  flesh"  while  God  is 


of  ihe  earth?  declare,  if  thou  hast  |  called,  "  The  Father  of  Spirits" 
understanding.  Who  laid  the  cor-  '  Earthly  fathers  have  no  power  to  be- 
ner  stone  thereof,  when  the  morning   get  spirits  ;  they  beget  only  the  bodies 


stars  sang  together,  and  all  the  Sons 
of  God  shouted  for  joy  ?"  (Job  33  : 
4,  6,  7.)  If  Job  had  no  prior  exis- 
tence, he  could  have  easily  answered 
the  Lord's  first  question.  He  could 
have  replied,  that,  when  "  the  found- 
ations of  the  earth"  were  laid,  I,  Job, 
did  not  exist.  The  very  question  im- 
plies that  Job  was  in  existence  at 
the  time  of  the  organization  of  the 
globe,  but  that  he  had  not  sufficient 
understanding,  as  to  the  place  where 
he  existed,  to  correctly  answer  the 
question  put  to  him.  Neiiher  could 
he  remember,  "  Who  laid  the  cor- 
ner stone  thereof;"  neither  could  he 
recollect,   the    song   of  the    morning 


of  flesh,  or  the  tabernacles  ;  while  our 
Heavenly  Father  begets  the  spirits, 
or  the  living  beings  which  come  from 
Him  to  inhabit  the  tabernacles. 

10.  "The  First  Born"  of  all  this 
great  family  of  Spirits,  holds,  by  vir- 
tue of  His  birthright,  a  pre-eminence 
in  all  things ;  hence  it  is  written, 
"  When  he  bringeth  in  the  First 
Begotten  into  the  world,  He  saith, 
And  let  all  the  angels  of  God  worship 
Him."  (Heb.  1  :  6.)  The  oldest 
spirits  or  the  First  Begotten  hold  the 
keys  of  Salvation  towards  all  the  rest 
of  the  family  of  spirits.  "  The  First 
Born"  Spirit  is  called  "  The  Morning 
Star,"  because   He    was  born  in  the 


stars;  neither  could  he  call  to  mind, !  morning  of  Creation,  or  in  other 
the  shout  of  joy  which  was  uttered  j  words,  because  He  was  "The  Be- 
by  the  vast  assembly  of  "  ALL  THE   ginning  of  the  Creation  of  God."    His 


SONS  OF  GOD 

9.  Jesus  calls  himself,  "  The 
bright,  and  morning  star."  (Rev. 
22  :  15.)  And  in  another  place,  He 
represents  Himself,  "  The  Beginning 
of  the  Creation  of  God."  (Rev.  3: 
14.)  Paul  says,  that  Jesus  "is  the 
image  of  the  invisible  God — the 
FIRST  BORN  of  every  creature." 
(Col.  1:  15.)  As  Jesus  is  the  First 
Born  Son  of  God,  it  is  evident,  that 
all  the  other  Sons  of  God  would  be 
His  younger  brethren,  begotten  by 
the  same  Father.  Therefore,  Paul 
represents  him  as  "  the  First  Born 
among  many  brethren."  (Romans 
8  :  29.)     And   in   another   place,  he 


younger  brethren  were  called  "morn- 
ing stars"  because  they  were  also 
born  in  the  morning  of  creation,  be- 
ing the  next  in  succession  in  the 
order  of  the  spiritual  creation. 

11.  "The  Father  of  Spirits,"  hav- 
ing  filled  one  of  the  celestial  kingdoms 
with  his  own  Sons  and  Daughters — 
the  fruit  of  his  own  loins,  gave  com- 
mandment unto  His  "  First  Born  "  to 
organize,  out  of  the  eternal  elements, 
another  world.  In  obedience  to  this 
great  commandment,  "The  First  Be- 
gotten,'' accompanied  by  all  His 
younger  brethren  who  had  kept  their 
"  First  Estate"  proceeded  to  lay 
"  the  foundations   of  the   earth,"  and 


says,  "  Both  He  that  sanctifieth  and  J  "  the   corner   stones  thereof."     And 
they  who  are   sanctified,  are   all  of'  upon  this    grand    occasion,    "  The 


20 


THE   PRE-EXISTENCE   OP   MAN. 


Morning  Stars  sang  together."    The 
Lord  does  not  reveal  to  Job  the  sen- 
timents  contained   in   this   song.     It 
was   probably  a    song,  composed  by 
one   of  the  wisest   poets    in   the  vast 
kingdom  of  spirits,  there  assembled. 
It,  no    doubt,    contained   sentiments 
suitable  to  the  majesty,  greatness,  and 
magnificence    of    the     work    which 
they  had  commenced.     The   founda- 
tions of  a  mighty  world  were  being 
laid — the  corner  stones  were  placed 
in  their  appropriate   position.     Upon 
these,  or  around   these,  as   a   central 
nucleus,   was   to   be   erected  a   mag- 
nificent globe,  arrayed  in  all  the  gor- 
geous  splendor  of  celestial  workman- 
ship.    Above,     below,     and     around 
these  eternal  elements,  hovered  thou- 
sands of  millions  of  the  sons  of  God 
which  were  the  spirits  of  men.     By 
the   spirit  of  prophecy,  they   looked 
upon   the   vast   field   of    unorganized 
materials  which  lay  stretched  out  al- 
most to  infinity  in  the  boundless  ocean 
of    space    which    surrounded     them. 
They  saw  that  these  materials  were 
to  be   formed    and   fashioned   into   a 
ponderous  globe,  prepared  and  adorn- 
ed  for  their  future  residence  ;   where 
they  should  exist,  and  live,  and  move 
in   earthly  tabernacles  ;  where    they 
should  sway  the  sceptre  of  dominion 
over  all  the  lower  orders  of  creation; 
where  they  should  become  fathers  of 
fleshly  bodies,  in  like  manner,  as  God 
was  the  Father  of  their  spirits.  They 
saw  the  fall,  redemption,  and  eternal 
exaltation  of  the  sons  of  God,  and 
the  glorification  of    the  earlh   which 
they  were  forming,  which  should  be- 
come their  abiding  place  forever.     In 
the  contemplation  of  the  magnificent 
sceneries  which  rolled  in  awful  gran- 
deur    before     them,     their     bosoms 
swelled  with  indescribable  joy  ;  they 
gave   utterance   to    their   feelings   in 
rapturous  strains  of  melodious  music 
which    reverberated    from   world   to 
world,  filling  all  the  heavens  with  the 
praises  of  God,  while  eternity  itself 
trembled  with  joy. 

12.  They  not  only  had  singing  to 
celebrate  the  beginning  of  the  organi- 
zation of  this  earth,  but  "  all  the  sons 
of  God  shouted  for  joy."     Who  can 


contemplate  this  grand  event  without 
being  almost  overpowered  with  the 
ideas  of  greatness  and  magnificence 
which  force  themselves  upon  the 
mind  ?  All  the  generations  of  men 
that  have  ever  lived,  or  that  ever 
will  live  upon  the  earth,  were  as- 
sembled upon  that  occasion.  They 
were  the  sons  of  God  :  they  were 
the  ones  who  shouted  for  joy.  Their 
united  voices  must  have  been,  as  the 
voice  of  many  waters,  driven  by  fierce 
tempests  whose  mountain  waves, 
rolling,  plunging,  dashing,  break  with 
awful  majesty  upon  the  rocky  bound 
coast.  A  shout  of  joy,  breaking  forth 
simultaneously  from  a  vast  world  of 
spirits,  must  have  been  as  the  rolling 
of  ten  thousand  thunders,  reverbera- 
ting from  mountain  to  mountain,  till 
the  whole  earth  trembles  under  the 
power  thereof. 

13.  There  is  something  grand  and 
sublime  in  the  contemplation  of  our 
pre-existence.  How  wonderful  and 
interesting  it  is  for  us  to  know,  that 
the  beings  whom  we  call  ourselves, 
that  now  dwell  in  these  earthly  tab- 
ernacles— existed  thousands  of  years 
ago — that  we  were  present,  when 
the  foundations  of  the  earth  were 
laid — that  we  then  sang  and  shouted 
for  joy — that  we  were  engaged  with 
our  oldest  brother,  the  First  Born,  in 
organizing  this  world — that  we  dwelt 
for  ages  in  our  Father's  presence  in 
a  celestial  or  glorified  world — that 
we  there  beheld  His  face,  and  re- 
joiced .in  His  glory — that  we  there 
were  instructed  in  the  wisdom  and 
knowledge  of  God,  till  the  intelligence 
which  radiated  from  our  persons, 
shone  like  the  morning  light. 

14.  Objections  have  been  raised 
against  the  pre-existence  of  man 
upon  the  ground  that  we  do  not  re- 
member such  existence,  or  any  event 
connected  therewith.  It  is  true,  we 
do  not  remember  any  thing  prior  to 
our  present  state,  but  this  does  not 
prove  that  we  had  no  prior  existence. 
We  do  not  remember  our  existence 
or  anything  else,  during  the  first  sis 
months  of  our  infancy,  does  this  prove 
that  we  did  not  exist  during  that  time  ? 
No.      If,,    then,   we    could   exist    six 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OP    MAN. 


21 


months,  during  our  present  state  with- 
out remembering  it,  we  might,  for 
the  same  reason,  have  existed  during 
six  thousand  years  prior  to  our  pres- 
ent state,  and  not  remember  it.  Ex- 
istence is  in  no  way  dependant  on 
memory  ;  therefore,  memory  has 
nothing  to  do  with  the  question  of 
our  past  state. 

15.  When  Jesus  was  bom  into  our 
world,  his  previous  knowledge  was 
taken  from  Him  :  this  was  occa- 
sioned by  His  spiritual  body  being 
compressed  into  a  smaller  volume 
than  it  originally  occupied.  In  His 
previous  existence,  His  spirit,  as  the 
Scriptures  testify,  was  of  ihe  size  and 
form  of  man  ;  when  this  spirit  was 
compressed,  so  as  to  be  wholly  en- 
closed in  an  infant  tabernacle,  it  had 
a  tendency  to  suspend  the  memory  ; 
and  the  wisdom  and  knowledge,  for- 
merly enjoyed,  were  forgotten.  "  In 
His  humiliation,  His  judgment  was 
taken  away."  (Acts  8,  33.)  To  come 
down  from  Heaven,  from  His  Father's 
presence,  where  He  had  formerly 
possessed  judgment  and  understanding 
sufficient  to  frame  worlds,  and  to  en- 
ter  into  a  mortal  tabernacle,  was 
truly  humiliating.  It  was,  indeed, 
humiliating  in  the  highest  degree,  to 
be  deprived  of  so  great  a  knowledge. 
Yet  he  humbled  Himself,  and  con- 
decended  to  descend  below  all  things, 
and  to  commence  anew  at  the  very 
elements  of  knowledge  :  hence,  one 
of  the  evangelists  says,  "  Jesus  in- 
creased in  wisdom  and  stature." 
(Luke  2,  52.)  Now  if  Jesus  had  re- 
tained His  wisdom  when  He  was 
born  into  this  world,  it  would  not 
have  been  said  of  Him  that  He  "  in- 
creased in  wisdom.''''  If  the  knowl- 
edge  which  Jesus  possessed  in  His 
previous  state,  were  taken  from  Him, 
when  He  entered  an  infant  tabernacle, 
He  could  never  regain  that  know- 
ledge only  by  revelation.  So  it  is 
with  man.  When  he  enters  a  body 
of  flesh,  his  spirit  is  so  compressed 
and  contracted  in  infancy  that  h*>  for- 
gets his  former  existence,  and  has  to 
commence,  as  Jesus  did,  at  the  low- 
est  principles  of  knowledge,  and  as- 
cend by  degrees  from  one   principle 


of  intelligence  to  another.  Thus  he 
regains  his  former  knowledge  ;  and 
by  showing  himself  approved  through 
every  degree  of  intelligence,  he  is 
counted  worthy  to  receive  more  and 
more,  until  he  is  perfected  and  glori- 
fied in  truth,  and  made  like  his  elder 
brother,  possessing  all  things. 

16.  If  the  spiritual  body  of  Jesus, 
and  the  spiritual  bodies  of  all  men, 
existed  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  as  we  have  clearly  shown,  is 
there  any  thing  unreasonable  in  the 
idea  of  the  pre-existence  of  the 
spiritual  bodies  of  all  the  an'mal 
creation  ?  There  is  not.  One  class 
of  spirits  may  exist  before  they  enter 
their  natural  bodies,  as  well  as 
another.  Did  not  the  same  God 
who  made  the  spirits  of  men,  make 
the  spirits  of  beasts  also?  Job  says, 
"  Ask  now  the  beasts,  and  they  shall 
teach  thee  ;  and  the  fowls  of  the  air, 
and  they  shall  tell  thee  ;  or  speak  to 
the  earth,  and  it  shall  teach  thee  : 
and  the  fishes  of  the  sea  shall  declare 
unto  thee.  Who  knoweth  not  in  all 
these,  that  the  hand  of  the  Lord  hath 
wrought  this?  IN  WHOSE  HAND 
IS  THE  SOUL  OF  EVERY  LIV- 
ING THING."  (Job  12,  7-iO.)  In 
this  quotation,  we  perceive  that  ''the 
soul  of  every  living  thing  "  is  in  the 
hand  of  the  Lord  :  He  is  the  Maker 
and  Preserver  of  the  souls  of  beasts, 
birds,  and  fishes,  as  well  as  of  the 
souls  of  men  :  hence,  Moses,  when 
praying  to  the  Lord,  says  :  "  Let  the 
Lord,  THE  GOD  OF  THE 
SPIRITS  OF  ALL  FLESH,  set  a 
man  over  the  congregation."  (Num. 
27  ;  16.)  Thus  we  see  that  the 
Lord  is,  not  only  the  God  of  the 
spirits  of  men,  but  He  is  '"the  God  of 
the  spirits  of  all  flesh." 

17.  That  the  spirits  of  all  the 
vegetables  and  animals  were  made 
before  their  bodies  is  evident  from 
the  history  of  creation  as  related  in 
the  first  and  second  chapters  of  Gen- 
esis- In  the  first  chapter,  we  have 
the  history  of  the  creation  of  vegeta- 
bles, fish,  fowls,  beasts,  and  man.  In 
the  second  chapter,  we  are  told  that 
on  the  seventh  day  "there  was  not 
a  man  to  till  the  ground  ;"   and  then 


22 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OP    MAN. 


a  description  is  given  of  the  forma- 
tion of  his  natural  body  "out  of  the 
ground."  In  the  first  chapter,  and 
during  the  third  day,  the  vegetables 
and  trees  are  formed  ;  in  the  second 
chapter,  and  on  the  seventh  day,  we 
are  told  that  the  Lord  "made  every 
plant  of  the  field  before  it  was  in  the 
earth,  and  every  herb  of  the  field 
before  it  grew;"  and  then  we  are 
informed  that  on  the  seventh  day  the 
Lord  planted  a  garden,  that  is,  set 
out  the  trees  and  herbs  which  he  had 
made  on  the  third  day,  and  caused 
them  to  "grow  out  of  the  ground." 
In  the  first  chapter,  it  is  said,  that  the 
fish,  fowls,  and  beasts,  were  created 
on  the  fifth  and  sixth  days  ;  in  the 
second  chapter,  these  various  animals 
are  formed  "out  of  the  ground"  on 
the  seventh  day,  and  "  brought  unto 
Adam  to  see  what  he  would  call 
them."  From  this  we  learn,  that  the 
natural  bodies  of  animals  were  made 
after  the  natural  body  of  man.  In 
the  work  of  the  temporal  creation 
man  seems  to  have  been  the  first 
flesh  upon  the  earth,  his  natural  body 
being  made  even  before  the  herbs 
and  trees  were  planted  and  grew  out 
of  the  ground.  He  was  placed  in 
the  garden  of  Eden,  before  the  Lord 
made  the  beasts  and  fowls,  that  is, 
their  natural  bodies,  and  brought 
them  to  him  in  order  that  he  might 
name  them.  The  first  chapter  gives 
a  history  of  the  creation  of  all  things 
spiritual ;  the  second  chapter  gives 
the  history  of  the  creation  of  all 
things  temporal.  In  the  order  of 
time,  and  in  the  succession  of  events, 
the  spiritual  creation  of  the  Heavens, 
and  earth,  and  all  things  contained 
therein, — differs  from  the  temporal 
creation  of  the  same.  To  suppose 
that  these  two  chapters  only  give  the 
history  of  the  natural  creation,  would 
involve  us  in  numerous  difficulties, 
when  we  endeavor  to  reconcile  the 
description  given  in  the  second  chap- 
ter with  that  given  in  the  first.  But 
to  receive  them  as  the  descriptions 
of  two  successive  creations,  the  first 
being  spiritual,  (as  it  truly  was,)  and 
the  second  being  temporal,  all  diffi- 
culties and  discrepancies  in  the  two 


different  descriptions  vanish  away, 
and  a  flood  of  light  bursts  upon  the 
mind. 

18.  Joseim!  Smith,  the  great  pro- 
phet of  the  last  dispensation,  being 
commanded  of  God  to  translate  the 
Bible  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Ghost, — commenced  the  great  work 
in  the  month  of  June,  1830.  In  this 
inspired  translation,  the  distinction 
between  the  spiritual  and  temporal 
creation,  is  clearly  manifest.  After 
describing  the  six  days  of  labor,  God 
informs  us,  that  be  ended  His  work 
on  the  seventh  day,  and  rested  there- 
in, and  sanctified  it.  He  then  teaches 
us,  "that  these  are  the  generations  of 
the  Heaven  and  of  the  Earth,  when 
they  were  created,  in  the  day  that  I, 
the  Lord  God.  made  the  Heaven  and 
the  Earth,  and  every  plant  of  the  field 
before  it  was  in  the  earth,  and  every 
herb  of  the  field  before  it  grew.  For 
I,  the  Lord  God,  created  all  things, 
of  which  I  have  spoken,  spiritually 
before  they  were  naturally  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth.  And  I,  the  Lord 
God,  had  created  all  the  children  of 
men  ;  and  not  yet  a  man  to  till  the 
ground,  for  in  Heaven  created  I  them  ; 
and  there  was  not  yet  flesh  upon  the 
earth;  neither  in  the  water,  neither 
in  the  air  ;  but  I,  the  Lord  God,  spake, 
and  there  went  up  a  mist  from  the 
earth,  and  watered  the  whole  face  of 
the  ground.  And  I,  the  Lord  God, 
formed  man  from  the  dust  of  the 
the  ground,  and  breathed  into  his 
nostrils  the  breath  of  life  ;  and  man 
became  a  living  soul,  the  first  flesh 
upon  the  earth,  the  first  man  also ; 
nevertheless,  all  things  were  before 
created;  but  spiritually,  were  they 
created  and  made  according  to  my 
word.  And  I,  the  Lord  God,  planted 
a  garden  eastward  in  Eden,  and  there 
I  put  the  man  whom  I  had  formed. 
And  out  of  the  ground  I,  the  Lord 
God,  made  to  grow  naturally,  every 
tree  that  is  pleasant  to  the  sight  of 
man  ;  and  man  could  behold  it.  And 
they  became  also  a  living  soul.  It 
was  spiritual  in  the  day  that  I  creat- 
ed it;  for  it  remaineth  in  the  sphere 
which  I,  God,  created  it  in,  yea,  even 
all  things  which  I  prepared  for  the 


THE   TRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


23 


tise   of  man  ;   and  man   saw  that  it 

was  good   for  food.      And  I,  the  Lord 

God,  placed  the   tree  of  life  also  in 

the    midst    of  the   garden,   and   also 

the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and 
evl]  »    ******  Ant{  out  of 

the  ground  I,  the  Lord  God,  formed 
every  beast  of  the  field,  and  every 
fowl  of  the  air;  and  commanded  that 
they  should  he  hrought  unto  Adam, 
to  see  what  he  would  call  them  :  and 
they  were  also  living  souls,  and  it 
was  breathed  into  them  the  breath  of 
life."  (Gen,  2nd  chap.  Inspired 
Translation,  by  Joseph  Smith,  the 
prophet.)  Here  we  learn,  that  every 
vegetable  and  animal,  as  well  as 
man,  was  first  created  spiritually,  in 
Heaven,  and  afterwards  made  natu- 
rally upon  the  earth  The  succession 
of  events  in  the  spiritual  creation 
was  different  from  that  in  the  natural 
creation  ;  hence,  arises  the  two  dif- 
ferent descriptions. 

19.  Heaven  is  the  world  where  all 
the  spirits,  destined  for  this  creation, 
had  their  origin  :  It  is  a  world,  con- 
sisting of  a  great  variety  of  materials 
of  a  similar  nature  to  those  which 
enter  into  the  constitution  of  our 
world.  The  difference  between  our 
world  and  a  Heavenly  one,  consists, 
not  in  the  diversity  of  the  elements, 
for  they  are  the  same,  but  in  the  dif- 
ference of  the  organization  of  these 
elements.  In  our  world,  the  ele- 
ments, at  the  present  time,  are  so  or- 
ganized, that  continual  changes  are 
taking  place  of  such  a  nature  as  to 
produce  death  and  the  dissolution  of  all 
organized  substances.  In  a  Heaven- 
ly world,  the  same  elements  are  so 
combined  that  eternal  duration  is 
stamped  upon  every  organization. 
The  spiritual  substances,  connected 
with  our  world,  are  not  permanently 
combined  with  the  other  elements; 
while  in  a  Heavenly  world,  so  far  as 
these  two  classes  of  elements  are 
combined,  their  union  is  immortal  or 
eternal.  A  Heavenly  world  has 
once  been  in  the  same  condition  as 
our  world,  but  its  temporal  organiza- 
tion has  been  dissolved,  and  the  same 
elements  have  been  reorganized  after 
the  pattern  of  the  Heavenly  order  :  it 


is  thus  changed  from  a  temporal  to 
an  eternal  state.  In  its  temporal 
condition,  it  is  terrestrial  ;  in  its 
eternal  condition,  it  is  celestial.  Un- 
cer  the  former,  death  usurps  domin- 
ion, and  spreads  devastation  and  ruin 
throughout  the  whole  organization : 
under  the  latter,  eternal  life  reigns 
triumphant  fbrevermore.  In  the  one 
condition,  it  is  a  fallen  world  ;  in  the 
other,  it  is  a  redeemed  world.  In 
the  first  state,  it  is  a  non-luminous 
body,  borrowing  its  light  from  those 
of  a  higher  order;  in  the  second,  it 
is  a  luminous  body,  radiating  light 
upon  the  surrounding  worlds.  When 
a  fallen  world,  it  is  inhabited  by  fallen 
beings  ;  when  a  redeemed  world,  it 
is  inhabited  by  celestial  beings,  re- 
deemed from  the  grave,  and  glorified, 
and  made  like  unto  the  God  who 
created  and  redeemed  them,  whose 
sons  they  are,  and  henceforth  they 
are  Gods,  ordained  to  do  the  works 
appertaining  to  Gods  ;  and  as  their 
Father  God  has  done  before  them, 
so  will  they  do.  Heaven,  then,  is  a 
redeemed  glorified  world,  inhabited 
by  the  Gods,  and  by  their  sons  and 
daughters,  who  are  the  fruits  of  their 
own  loins. 

20.  The  Gods  who  dwell  in  the 
Heaven  from  which  our  spirits  came, 
are  beings  who  have  been  redeemed 
from  the  grave  in  a  world  which  ex- 
isted before  the  foundations  of  this 
earth  were  laid.  They  and  the 
Heavenly  body  which  they  now  in- 
habit were  once  in  a  fallen  state. 
Their  terrestrial  world  was  redeemed, 
and  glorified,  and  made  a  Heaven  : 
their  terrestrial  bodies,  after  suffering 
death,  were  redeemed,  and  glorified, 
and  made  Gods.  And  thus,  as  their 
world  was  exalted  from  a  temporal 
to  an  eternal  state,  thpy  were  exalted 
also,  from  fallen  men  to  Celestial 
Gods  to  inhabit  their  Heaven  forever 
and  ever. 

21.  These  Gods,  being  redeemed 
from  the  grave  with  their  wives, 
are  immortal  and  eternal,  and  will 
die  no  more.  But  they  and  their 
wives  will  be  supremely  happy.  All 
the  endearing  ties  of  conjugal  love 
which  existed  in  their  bosoms,  when 


24 


THE   PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


terrestrial  and  fallen  beings,  are  now 
greatly  increased  and  perfecieu  which 
serve  to  swell  their  souls  with  feel- 
ings of  rapturous  delight,  and  un- 
bounded love  towards  each  other, 
and  with  joys  that  are  everlasting. 
How  beautiful — how  interesting — 
how  inexpressibly  lovely  will  they 
appear  in  each  others  eyes  !  Full  ot 
virtue  and  goodness,  knowledge  and 
intelligence,  affection  and  love, — 
they  shine  forth  in  all  the  brilliancy 
and  glory  of  these  Godlike  attributes, 
inspiring  each  other,  and  all  Heaven, 
with  a  fulness  of  Eternal  joys. 

22.  All  these  Gods  are  equal  in 
power,  in  glory,  in  dominion,  and  in 
the  possession  of  all  things ;  each 
possesses  a  fulness  of  truth,  of  knowl- 
edge, of  wisdom,  of  light,  of  intelli- 
gence ;  each  governs  himself  in  all 
things  by  his  own  attributes,  and  is 
filled  with  love,  goodness,  mercy,  and 
justice  towards  all.  The  fulness  of 
all  these  attributes  is  what  constitutes 
God.  "God  is  Light."  "God  is 
Love."  "God  is  Truth."  The  Gods 
are  one  in  the  qualities  and  attributes. 
Truth  is  not  a  plurality  of  truths,  be- 
cause  it  dwells  in  a  plurality  of  per- 
sons, but  it  is  one  truth,  indivisible, 
though  it  dwells  in  millions  of  per- 
sons. Each  person  is  called  God, 
not  because  of  his  substance,  neither 
because  of  the  shape  and  size  of  the 
substance,  but  because  of  the  quali- 
ties which  dwell  in  the  substance. 
Persons  are  only  tabernacles  or  tem- 
ples, and  TRUTH  is  the  God,  that 
dwells  in  them.  If  the  fulness  of 
truth,  dwells  in  numberless  millions 
of  persons,  then  the  same  one  indi- 
visible God  dwells  in  them  all.  As 
truth  can  dwell  in  all  worlds  at  the 
same  instant;  therefore,  God  who  is 
truth  can  be  in  all  worlds  at  the  same 
instant.  A  temple  of  iinmortal  flesh, 
and  bones,  and  spirit,  can  only  be  in 
one  place  at  a  time,  but  truth,  which 


(To  be  contmutd.) . 


is  God,  can  dwell  in  a  countless  num- 
ber of  such  temples  in  the  same  mo- 
ment. When  we  worship  the  Father, 
we  do  not  merely  worship  His  per- 
son, but  we  worship  the  truth  which 
dwells  in  His  person.  When  we 
worship  the  Son,  we  do  not  merely 
worship  His  body,  but  we  worship 
truth  which  resides  in  Him.  So, 
likewise,  when  we  worship  the  Holy 
Ghost,  it  is  not  the  substance  which 
we  alone  worship,  but  truth  which 
dwells  in  that  substance.  Take  away 
truth  from  either  of  these  beings,  and 
their  persons  or  substance  would  not 
be  the  object  of  worship.  It  is  truth, 
light,  and  love  that  we  worship  and 
adore  ;  these  are  the  same  in  all 
worlds  ;  and  as  these  constitute  God, 
He  is  the  same  in  all  worlds  ;  and 
hence,  the  inhabitants  of  all  worlds 
are  required  to  worship  and  adore  the 
same  God.  Because  God  dwells  in 
many  temples,  He  frequently  speaks  to 
us,  as  though  there  were  many  Gods  : 
this  is  true  when  reference  is  made 
to  the  number  of  His  dwelling  places  ; 
but  it  is  not  true,  and  cannot  be  true,, 
in  any  other  sense.  Therefore,  in 
all  our  future  statements  and  reason- 
ings, when  we  speak  of  a  plurality  of 
Gods,  let  it  be  distinctly  understood, 
that  we  have  reference  alone  to  a 
plurality  of  temples  wherein  the  same 
truth  or  God  dwells.  And  also  when 
we  speak  of  only  one  God,  and  state 
that  He  is  eternal,  without  beginning 
or  end,  and  that  He  is  in  all  worlds 
at  the  same  instant,  let  it  be  distinctly 
remembered,  that  we  have  no  refer- 
ence to  any  particular  person  or  sub- 
stance, but  to  truth  dwelling  in  a  vast 
variety  of  substances.  Wherever 
you  find  a  fulness  of  wisdom,  knowl- 
edge, truth,  goodness,  love,  and  such 
like  qualities,  there  you  find  God  in 
all  His  glory,  power,  and  majesty, 
therefore,  if  you  worship  these  adora- 
ble perfections  you  worship  God. 


CELESTIAL    MARBIAGE. 


25 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE 

( Continued.) 


The  first  great  commandment 
which  God  gave  unto  mankind,  as 
recorded  in  the  scriptures,  was,  to 
"  Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  re- 
plenish the  earth.^  (Gen.  1:  28.) 
The  principal  object  was  to  people 
this  creation  with  myriads  of  intelli- 
gent moral  beings,  after  His  own  im- 
age and  likeness,  endowed  with  God- 
like capacities,  and  capable  of  pro- 
gressing in  the  grand  scale  of  know- 
ledge  and  happiness,  until  they  should 
receive  a  fulness,  and  become  like 
God,  and  be  glorified  in  Him.  and  He 
in  them,  that  they  might  be  one  in 
glory,  and  in  power,  and  in  dominion. 
Herein  is  God  glorified,  because 
there  are  millions  of  beings  who 
eventually  become  like  Himself,  with 
whom  He  can  associate,  and  who 
are  capable  of  understanding  and  ap- 
preciating all  the  fulness  of  His 
glorious  attributes,  and  of  acting  with 
Him  in  the  most  perfect  harmony  in 
all  the  magnificent  works  of  Creation. 
Herein  are  the  dominions  of  the  Al- 
mighty enlarged,  by  the  accession  of 
new  worlds,  peopled  with  beings  in 
His  own  form  and  of  His  own  order. 
And  herein  joy,  and  gladness,  and 
happiness,  reign  in  the  bosom  of  the 
great  Creator,  in  all  their  fulness  and 
perfection,  because  He  exercises  His 
infinite  goodness  in  the  formation  of 
numberless  worlds,  peopled  with  be- 
ings upon  whom,  if  obedient,  He  be- 
stows all  the  fulness  of  His  own  great 
perfections. 

If,  then,  the  multiplication  of  human 
beings  adds  to  the  dominions  of  the 
Almighty,  glorifies  His  name,  and 
gives  Him  an  opportunity  of  display- 
ing His  infinite  goodness,  it  is  rea- 
sonable to  suppose  that  He  would 
give  laws  unto  mankind,  regulating 
them  upon  so  important  a  subject — a 
subject  fraught  with  consequences 
that  are  eternal.  Think,  for  one 
moment,  of  the  great  responsibilities, 
resting  upon  the  father  and  mother 
of  an  infant  child  :  they  have  been 
instruments,  in  giving  existence  to  a 


being,  capable  of  eternal  happiness 
or  of  eternal  misery  ;  they  have  been 
entrusted  with  the  protection  and  in- 
struction of  a  being  in  the  image  and 
and  likeness  of  God  who,  by  proper 
training,  may  soar  aloft  in  wisdom, 
and  knowledge,  and  power,  and  God- 
like majesty  to  the  realms  of  immor- 
tality and  everlasting  light  ;  they  have 
been  entrusted  with  a  treasure  in- 
finitely more  valuable  than  all  the 
riches  and  honors  of  this  world — a 
treasure  which,  by  their  mismanage- 
ment may  be  lost — eternally  lost — a 
treasure  for  which  they  are  account- 
able in  the  great  judgment  of  quick 
and  dead.  (),  how  great  will  be  the 
glory  and  happiness  of  that  man  and 
woman  who  have  obeyed  that  great 
first  commandment  to  "  Multiply," 
and  have  trained  up  themselves  and 
their  children  unto  life  and  immor- 
tality !  On  the  other  band,  what 
wretchedness  and  misery,  will  be  in- 
flicted upon  those  who  have  been  in- 
struments of  unlawful  connections, 
whose  illegitimate  children  will  re- 
main as  a  standing  curse,  both  in 
time  and  in  eternity,  to  testify  loudly 
of  the  unvirtuous  associations  of  their 
guilty  parents !  O,  how  fearful  the 
responsibilities,  resting  upon  mankind 
in  regard  to  this  momentous  subject ! 
It  is  because  of  the  infinitely  im- 
portant consequences,  involved  in  the 
multiplication  of  the  human  species, 
that  God  has  regulated  the  same  by 
the  strictest  kind  of  laws.  He  has 
not  permitted  an  indiscriminate  inter- 
course between  the  sexes,  as  among 
the  dumb  brutes  ;  but  He  has  ordain- 
ed Marriage  as  the  only  justifiable 
means  through  which  the  sexes  can 
legally  "multiply  and  replenish  the 
earth."  All  connections  out  of  the 
marriage  covenant,  are  unlawful  in 
the  sight  of  God  ;  and  all  who  are 
guilty  of  such  crimes  will  be  severely 
punished  for  the  same.  In  ancient 
times  persons  committing  adulteries, 
fornications,  and  unvirtuous  connec- 
tions, were  punished  with  death,  ac- 


26 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


cording  to  the  law    of  God,   which 
reads  as  follows  : 

"  If  a  man  bo  found  lying  with  a 
woman  married  to  an  husband,  then 
they  shall  both  die,  both  the  man  that 
lay  with  the  woman,  and  the  woman  : 
so  shalt  thou  put  away  evil  from  Israel. 
If  a  damsel  that  is  a  virgin  be  be- 
trothed unto  an  husband,  and  a  man 
find  her  in  the  city,  and  lie  with  her; 
then  ye  shall  bring  them  both  out  un 
to  the  gate  of  that  city,  and  ye  shall 
stone  them  with  stones  that  they  die  ; 
the  damsel,  because  she  cried  not, 
being  in  the  city;  and  the  man,  be- 
cause he  hath  humbled  his  neigh- 
bour's wife  :  so  shalt  thou  put  away 
evil  from  among  you.  But  if  a  man 
find  a  betrothed  damsel  in  the  field, 
and  the  man  force  her,  and  lie  with 
her:  then  the  man  only  that  lay  with 
her  shall  die."  (Deuteronomy,  22  : 
22,  25. 

The  great  abhorence  which  the 
Lord  manifested  towards  all  unvir- 
tuous  connections,  may  be  clearly 
seen  from  the  following  : 

"  If  any  man  take  a  wife,  and  go 
in  unto  her,  and  hate  her,  and  give 
occasions  of  speech  against  her,  and 
bring  up  an  evil  name  upon  her,  and 
say,  I  took  this  woman,  and  when  I 
came  to  her,  I  found  her  not  a  maid." 
And,  "if  this  thing  be  true,  and  the 
tokens  of  virginity  be  not  found 
for  the  damsel :  then  they  shall  bring 
out  the  damsel  to  the  door  of  her 
father's  house,  and  the  men  of  her 
city  shall  stone  her  with  stones  that 
she  die  ;  because  she  hath  wrought 
folly  in  Israel,  to  play  the  whore  in 
her  father's  house  :  so  shalt  thou  put 
evil  away  from  among  you."  (Deut. 
22:   13,  14,  20,  21. 

It  was  pleasing  to  the  Lord  to  have 
such  wicked  characters  put  to  death. 
Phinehas,  the  grandson  of  Aaron,  was 
greatly  blessed  of  the  Lord,  for  put- 
ting  to  death  a  man  and  woman  who 
•were  guilty  of  unlawful  connections  : 
we  give  the  history  of  this  event  in 
the  words  of  scripture. 

"And,  behold,  one  of  the  children 
of  Israel  came  and  brought  unto  his 
brethren  a  Midianitish  woman  in  the 
sight  of  Moses,  and  in  the  sight  of 


all  the  congregation  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  who  were  weeping  before 
the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  con- 
gregation. And  when  Phinehas,  the 
son  of  Eleazer,  the  son  of  Aaron,  the 
priest,  saw  it,  he  rose  up  from  among 
the  congregation  and  took  a  javelin  in 
his  hand  ;  and  he  went  after  the  man 
of  Israel  into  the  tent,  and  thrust  both 
of  them  through.  *  *  *  So  the  plague 
was.stayed  from  the  children  of  Israel. 
And  those  that  dieH  in  the  plague 
were  twenty  and  four  thousand.  And 
the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 
Phinehas,  the  son  of  Eleazer,  the  son 
of  Aaron,  the  priest,  hath  turned  my 
wrath  away  from  the  children  of  Israel 
while  he  was  zealous  f  r  my  sake 
among  them,  that  I  consumed  not  the 
children  of  Israel  in  my  jealousy. 
Wherefore,  say,  behold,  I  give  unto 
him  my  covenant  of  peace :  and  he 
shall  have  it,  and  his  seed  after  him, 
even  the  covenant,  of  an  everlasting 
priesthood;  because  he  was  zealous 
for  his  God,  and  made  an  atonement 
for  the  children  of  Israel."  (Num- 
bers, 25:  6— 13  ) 

Why  was  the  Lord  so  displeased 
with  the  sexes  that  he  would  punish 
them  with  death  for  unvirtuous  con- 
duct ?  It  was,  because  He  had  or- 
dained marriage  as  the  only  lawful 
way  of  multiplying  the  human  race. 
The  direful  effects  which  follow  un- 
virtuous associations,  can  easily  be 
perceived,  even  though  there  were  no 
law  of  God  against  such  evils.  First, 
illegitimate  children  are  thrown  upon 
the  world  without  any  lawful  protector 
to  look  after  their  temporal  welfare. 
Secondly,  these  children  have  not  the 
moral  advantages,  which  should  be 
derived  from  the  teachings  and  ex- 
amples of  lawful  parents,  and,  conse- 
quently, are  in  greater  danger  of  losing 
their  eternal  salvation.  And  lastly, 
an  indiscriminate  intercourse  between 
the  sexes  would  break  up  all  family 
associations,  and  destroy  the  harmony 
and  peace,  enjoyed  in  the.  domestic 
circle  ;  fathers  would  not  know  their 
own  children,  and  children  could  not, 
with  confidence,  say  who  were  their 
fathers:  such  an  order  of  things  would 
be  deplorable,  and   would    strike   a 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


27 


deadly  blow  at  the  foundation  of  all 
domestic  happiness.  Many  other 
dreadf'il  consequences  might  also  be 
named,  as  the  result  of  licentiousness, 
such  as  jealousies,  want  of  confidence, 
loathsome  diseases  transferred  to  pos- 
terity, all  of  which  evils  are  abhorent 
to  the  feelings  of  every  good  man. 
It  is  for  this  reason,  that  God  has  en- 
acted strict  laws  in  regard  to  all  these 
crimes.  It  is  for  this  reason,  that  He 
punishes  with  such  heavy  penalties 
those  who  violate  these  sacred  laws. 

Adulterers,  and  unvirtuous  persons 
were  not  only  to  be  punished  tempo- 
rally, but  also  spiritually,  after  this 
life.  Hence,  the  Lord  says,  "The 
fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  the 
abominable, and  murderers  and  whore- 
mongers, and  sorcerers,  and  idolators, 
and  all  liars,  shall  have  their  part  in 
the  lake  which  burnetii  with  fire  and 
brimstone  :  which  is  the  second 
death."  (Rev.  2l:  8.)  Punishment 
by  a  temporal  death  is  not  sufficient 
to  satisfy  the  demands  of  justice:  they 
must  suffer  the  penalties  of  the  se- 
ond  death  also. 

The  same  strictness  against  all 
unvirtuous  conduct  is  taught  in  the 
book  of  Mormon,  as  may  be  seen 
from  the  following  quotations: 

"O  the  wise,  and  the  learned,  and 
the  rich,  that  are  puffed  up  in  the 
pride  of  their  hearts,  and  all  those 
who  preach  false  doctrines,  and  all 
those  who  commit  whoredoms,  and  per- 
vert the  right  way  of  the  Lord  ;  wo, 
wo,  wo  be  unto  them,  saith  the  Lord 
God  Almighty,  for  they  shall  be  thrust 
down  to  helV'     (2  Nephi  12:  2.) 

The  prophet  Alma,  in  speaking  to 
his  son  on  this  same  subject,  says, 
"Know  ye  not,  my  son,  that  these 
things  are  an  abomination  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord  ;  yea,  must  abomi- 
nable above  all  sins,  save  it  be  the 
shedding  of  innocent  blood,  or  deny- 
ing the  Holy  Ghost."    (Alma  19:  1.) 

In  another  place,  the  Lord  says  to 
the  ancient  inhabitants  of  America, 
as  follows: 

"  I,  the  Lord  God,  delight  in  the 
chastity  of  women.  And  whoredoms 
are  an  abomination  before  me  ;  thus 
saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts.     Wherefore, 


this  people  shall  keep  my  command- 
ments, saith  the.  Lord  of  Hosts,  or 
cursed  be  the  land  for  their  sakes. 
For  if  I  will,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts, 
raise  up  seed  unto  me,  I  will  com- 
mand my  people ;  otherwise,  they 
shall  hearken  unto  these  things. 
For  behold,  I,  the  Lord,  have  seen 
the  sorrow,  and  heard  the  mourning 
of  the  daughters  of  my  people  in  the 
land  of  Jerusalem  ;  yea,  and  in  all 
the  lands  of  my  people  because  of 
the  wickedness  and  abominations  of 
their  husbands.  And  I  will  not  suffer, 
saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  that  the  cries 
of  the  fair  daughters  of  this  people, 
which  I  have  led  out  of  the  land  of 
Jerusalem,  shall  come  up  unto  me, 
against  the  men  of  my  people,  saith 
the  Lord  of  Hosts  ;  for  they  shall  not 
lead  away  captive  the  daughters  of 
my  people,  because  of  their  tender- 
ness, save  I  shall  visit  them  with  a 
sore  curse,  even  unto  destruction  : 
for  they  shall  not  commit  whoredoms, 
like  unto  them  of  old,  saith  the  Lord 
of  Hosts."     (Book  of  Jacob,  2:   6  ) 

When  Jesus  appeared  unto  the  an- 
cient  Nephites,  in  the  northern  part 
of  what  we  call  South  America,  He 
taught  them,  concerning  adultery  in 
these  words  : 

"Behold,  it  is  written  by  them  of 
old  time,  that  thou  shalt  not  commit 
adultery ;  but  I  say  unto  you,  that 
whosoever  looketh  on  a  woman,  to 
lust  after  her,  hath  committed  adultery 
already  in  his  heart.  Behold,  I  give 
unto  you  a  commandment,  that  ye 
suffer  none  of  these  things  to  enter 
into  your  heart ;  for  it  is  better  that 
ye  should  deny  yourselves  of  these 
things,  wherein  ye  will  take  up  your 
cross,  than  that  ye  should  be  cast  into 
hell."  (Book  of  Nephi,  page  460, 
chap.  5  :    10.) 

The  same  doctrine  is  taught  in  the 
revelations  and  commandments,  given 
through  Joseph,  the  Seer,  unto  this 
church.  In  February,  1831,  the 
Lord  spake  thus  : 

"  Thou  shalt  love  thy  wife  with  all 
thy  heart,  and  shalt  cleave  unto  her 
and  none  else  ;  and  he  that  looketh 
upon  a  woman  to  lust  after  her,  shall 
deny  the  faith,  and  shall  not  have  the 


28 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


Spirit,  and  if  he  repents  not,  he  shall 
be  ca^t  out.  Thou  slialt  nut  commit 
adultery  ;  and  he  that  committeth  adul- 
tery and  repenteth  not,  shall  be  cast 
out ;  but  he  that  has  committed  adul- 
tery and  repents  with  all  his  heart, 
and  forsaketh  it,  and  doelh  it  no  more, 
thou  shalt  forgive  ;  but  if  he  doeth  it 
again,  be  shall  not  be  forgiven,  but 
shall  be  cast  out."  (Book  of  Cove- 
nants,  sec.  13,  par.  7.) 

"  And  if  any  man  or  woman  shall 
commit  adultery,  he  or  she  shall  be 
tried  before  two  elders  of  the  church 
or  more,  and  every  word  shall  be  es- 
tablished against  him  or  her  by  two 
witnesses  of  the  church,  and  not  of 
the  enemy  ;  but  if  there  are  more 
than  two  witnesses  it  is  better.  But 
he  or  she  shall  be  condemned  by  the 
mouth  of  two  witnesses,  and  the  eld- 
era  shall  lay  the  case  before  the 
church,  and  the  church  shall  lift  up 
their  hands  against  him  or  her,  that 
they  may  be  dealt  with  according  to 
the  law  of  God.  And  if  it  can  be,  it 
is  necessary  that  the  bishop  is  pre- 
sent  also.  And  thus  ye  shall  do  in 
all  cases  which  shall  come  before 
you."     (Sec.  18,  par.  22.) 

The  saints  are  prohibited,  by  reve- 
lation,  to  receive  certain  persons  into 
the  church.     The  Lord  says  : 

"Behold,  verily  I  say  unto  you, 
that  whatever  persons  among  you, 
having  put  away  their  companions 
for  the  cause  of  fornication,  or  in 
other  words,  if  they  shall  testify  be- 
fore you  in  all  lowliness  of  heart  that 
this  is  the  case,  ye  shall  not  cast 
them  out  from  among  you  ;  but  if  ye 
shall  find  that  any  persons  have  left 
their  companions  for  the  sake  of  adul- 
tery, and  they  themselves  are  the 
offenders,  and  their  companions  are 
living,  they  shall  be  cast  out  from 
among  you.  And  again  I  say  unto 
you,  that  ye  shall  be  watchful  and 
careful,  with  all  inquiry,  that  ye  re- 
ceive none  such  among  you,  if  they 
are  married  ;  and  if  they  are  not 
married,  they  shall  repent  of  all 
their  sins,  or  ye  shall  not  receive 
them."     (Sec.  13,  par.  20.) 

And  again,  the  word  of  the  Lord 
came  unto  Joseph,  the  Seer,  in  Au- 
gust,  1831,  saying  : 


"  There  were  among  you  adulter- 
ers and  adulteresses  ;  some  of  whom 
have  turned  away  from  you,  and  others 
remain  with  you,  that  hereafter  shall 
be  revealed.  Let  such  beware  and 
repent  speedily,  lest  judgments  shall 
come  upon  them  as  a  snare,  and  their 
folly  shall  be  made  manifest,  and  their 
works  shall  follow  them  in  the  eyes 
of  the  people.  And,  verily,  I  say 
unto  you,  as  I  have  said  before,  he 
that  looketh  on  a  woman  to  lust  after 
her,  or  if  any  shall  commit  adultery 
in  their  hearts,  they  shall  not.  have 
the  Spiri',  but  shall  deny  the  faith, 
and  shall  fear :  wherefore,  I,  the 
Lord,  have  said  that  the  fearful,  and 
the  unbelieving,  and  all  liars,  and 
whosoever  loveth  and  maketh  a  lie, 
and  the  whoremonger,  and  the  sor- 
cerer, shall  have  their  part  in  that 
lake  which  burnetii  with  fire  and 
brimstone,  which  is  the  second  death. 
Verily  I  say,  that  they  shall  not  have 
part  in  the  first  resurrection.  And, 
now,  behold,  I,  the  Lord,  say  unto 
you,  that  ye  are  not  justified,  because 
these  things  are  among  you  ;  never- 
theless, he  that  endureth  in  faith,  and 
doeth  my  will,  the  same  shall  over- 
come, and  shall  receive  an  inheri- 
tance upon  the  earth,  when  the  day 
of  transfiguration  shall  come."  (Sec. 
20,  par.  4,  5,  6.) 

In  all  these  quotations  from  ancient 
and  modern  revelations,  every  one 
can  see  the  dreadful  consequences, 
arising  from  the  least  indulgence  of 
these  sinful  lusts.  Those  persons 
who  suffer  unvirtuous  thoughts  to 
come  into  their  hearts,  and  cherish 
them  there  for  one  moment  will  find 
themselves  under  condemnation  ;  they 
have  broken  the  law  of  God  ;  they 
have  become  defiled  by  their  wicked 
thoughts,  and  unless  they  repent,  the 
Spirit  will  depart  from  them  ;  for  the 
Holy  Ghost  dwelleth  not  in  unholy 
temples,  and  they  will  be  left  in  dark- 
ness, and  their  faith  will  die  away, 
and  they  will  be  filled  with  fear,  and 
finally  be  cast  down  to  hell. 

The  Latter-Day  Saints  are  under 
greater  obligations  than  any  other 
people  on  the  whole  earth,  to  keep 
themselves  pure  and  virtuous  before 
the  Lord — to  refrain  from  adulteries, 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


fornications,  licentiousness,  all  unlaw, 
ful  connections,  all  uncleanness,  all 
fleshly  lusts,  all  unvirtuous  and  unholy 


weeping,  and  wailing,  and  gnashing 
of  teeth. 

From  the  foregoing  quotations  and 


desires,  and  from  all  lustful  thoughts  remarks,  it  will  be  seen,  that  the 
and  carnal  affections  ;  for  we  have  Latter  Day  Saints  have  stricter  no. 
been  faithfully  warned,  again  and  tions  of  virtue,  and  consider  them- 
again,  by  the  voice  of  that  great  pro-  :  selves  under  greater    obligations   to 


phet  and  revelator,  Joseph  Smith  ; 
we  have  been  warned  by  the  voice 
of  inspiration — by  the  voice  of  an- 
gels— by  the  voice  of  the  ancient 
prophets  of  America,  speaking  as  it 
were  from  the  dead  through  the  me- 
dium of  their  ancient  records — we 
have   been    warned   by  the   voice  of 


refrain,  not  only  from  unvirtuous  acts, 
but  from  unvirtuous  thoughts,  than 
any  other  people  under  Heaven. 
But  do  the  Saints  actually  demonstrate 
by  their  practices,  that  they  believe 
what  the  Lord  has  taught  them  upon 
these  subjects?  Do  they  practice 
virtue,  as  well  as  deliver  the  precepts 


God,  threatening  us  with  destruction,  thereof?  We  answer,  let  the  prac- 
and  with  the  miseries  of  the  second  j  tices  of  the  thirty  thousand  Saints  in 
death,  if  we  do  not  keep  ourselves  j  Utah,  speak  ;  let  strangers  who  have 
entirely  free  and  pure  from  all  these  i  travelled  through  our  flourishing  ter- 
sinful  soul-destroying  lusts.  If  we  i  ritory,  declare  ;  let  the  records  of  the 
reject  so  great  warnings,  and  sin  j  courts  of  justice  bear  witness;  let 
against  so  great   light,  how  can  we  j  the  injured  females,  if  there   be  any, 


obtain     forgiveness,    or    escape     the 
damnation   of   hell  ?     The    Lord  our 


whose  character  and  reputation  have 
been  destroyed   by  the  vile  seducer, 


God  is  a  holy  and  just  God — faithful :  publish  their  wrongs  ;  let  illegitimate 
and  true  in  all  His  words,  and  will  [children,  if  Utah  affords  them,  come 
in  nowise  vary  from  that  which  He  ;  forth  as  a  public  monument  of  our 
hath  said;  for  judgment  goeth  before  j  disgrace  ;  if  a  house  of  ill-fame  can 
His   face,  and  justice  and  righteous-    be  Ibund  throughout  the  length   and 


ness  is  the  habitation  of  His  throne! 
O  ye  Saints  of  the  last  days,  do  you 
realize  the  fearful — the  infinitely  im- 
portant— the  eternal  responsibilities 
which  rest  upon  you,  to  watch  over 
yourselves,  your  children,  and  all 
who  are  placed  under  your  charge  ? 
Do  you  realize  that  your  condemna- 


breadth  of  our  territory,  then  let  th". 
Saints  hide  their  laces  in  shame,  and 
the  sons  and  daughters  of  Utah  blush 
before  the  Heavens  ;  if  an  adulterer 
or  seducer  of  female  virtue,  can  be 
found  in  all  that  land,  then  let  the  eld- 
ers be  clad  in  sackcloth,  and  the  Saints 
put  on  the  garments  of  mourning,  and 


tion  and  punishment  will  be  in  pro-  weep  before  the  Lord,  day  and  night, 
portion  to  the  light  and  knowledge  i  until  the  evil  be  taken  from  their  midst, 
against  which  you  sin  ?  If  you  fully  j  But  have  not  some  of  the  Saints 
understand  and  appreciate  the  warn-  in  Utah  more  wives  than  one  ?  Yes  : 
ings  which  you  have  received,  happy  and  they  take  good  care  of  them  too; 
are  you,  if  you  give  heed  and  obey   and  teach  them  and  their  children  the 


the  voice  of  the  Lord  your  God,  tor 
great  shall  be  your  reward,  and  eter- 
nal shall  be  your  glory.  But  if  any 
among  you  harden  their  hearts,  and 
yield  themselves  unto  the  wicked 
lusts  of  their  flesh,  and  suffer  them- 
selves to  be  defiled  by  cherishing  in 
their  minds  unvirtuous  thoughts  and 
unholy  desires,  they  shall  speedily 
be  visited  by  sore  judgments,  and 
their  names  shall  be  blotted  out  from 
under  heaven,  and  they  shall  be 
thrust  down  to  hell,  where   there  is 


great  principles  of  virtue  and  holiness 
by  example  as  well  as  hy  precept. 
But  is  it  not  sinful,  for  a  man  to  have 
more  than  one  wife  living  at  the  same 
time  ?  If  it  is,  the  Bible  has  not  told 
us  of  it.  But  is  it  not  contrary  to  the 
christian  religion  ?  If  it  is,  the  chris- 
tian religion  has  not  revealed  it  as  an 
evil.  But  do  you  not  really  think  that 
it  is  contrary  to  the  will  of  God  for  a 
man,  in  these  days,  to  take  a  plurality 
of  wives  ?  Yes.  unless  God  shall 
give  them   to    him    by   a    revelation 


30 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


through  a  holy  prophet.  Is  it  not 
contrary  to  the  Constitution  and  laws 
of  the  United  States  for  the  the  cit- 
izens of  Utah  to  practicethe  plural, 
ity  of  wives?  No  ;  neither  the  Con- 
stitution nor  the  laws  of  the  United 
States,  have  said  anything  on  the  sub- 
ject of  marriage  or  domestic  relations 
•  But  is  it  not  contrary  to  the  laws  of 
the  Territory?  No;  the  Legislature 
of  that  Territory  do  not  feel  disposed 
to  debar  her  citizens  of  any  blessings 
or  privileges,  enjoyed  under  the  san- 
ction of  the  Almighty,  by  holy  pro- 
phets   and    patriarchs  of  old. 

Do  you  believe  that  the  Book  of 
Mormon  is  a  divine  revelation  ?  We 
do.  Does  that  book  teach  the  doc- 
trine of  plurality  of  wives?  It  does 
not.  Does  the  Lord  in  that  book  for- 
bid the  plurality  doctrine  ?  He  forbid 
the  ancient  Nephites  to  have  any 
more  than  one  wife.  What  does  the 
Book  of  Mormon  say  on  this  subject? 
It  says,  as  follows,  "  Thus  saith  the 
Lord,  I  have  led  this  people  forth  out 
of  the  land  of  Jerusalem  by  the  power 
of  mine  arm,  that  1  might  raise  up 
unto  me  a  righteous  branch  from  the 
fruit  of  the  loins  of  Joseph.  Wherefore, 
I,  the  Lord  God,  will  not  suffer  that 
this  people  shall  do  like  unto  them  of 
old.  Wherefore,  my  brethren,  hear 
me,  and  hearken  to  the  word  of  the 
Lord  ;  for  there  shall  nut  any  man 
among  you  have  save  it  be  one  wife  ; 
and  concubines  he  shall  have  none." 
(Bouk  of  Jacob,  2  :  6.)  Why  were 
the  ancient  Nephites  restricted  to  the 
one  wife  system  ?  Because,  first,  the 
number  of  males  and  females  among 
them,  at  the  time  the  command  was 
given,  was  about  equal.  Secondly, 
there  was  no  probability  that  judg- 
ments, wars,  or  any  other  calamities 
which  were  to  befall  their  nation, 
would  produce  a  disproportionate 
number  of  males  and  females.  Third- 
ly, this  small  remnant  of  the  tribe  of 
Joseph  were,  at  that  time,  about 
equally  righteous  ;  and  one  was  about 
as  capable  of  raising  up  a  family  in 
righteousness  as  another.  And  last- 
ly, the  Lord,  Himself,  informs  them, 
in  the  same  connection  with  the  quo- 
tation which  I  have  just  made,  that  if 


He  would  have  them  practice  differ- 
ently from  what  He  had  previously 
taught  them,  it  must  be  by  his  com- 
mand. It  reads  as  follows  :  "  For  if 
I  will,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  raise 
up  seed  unto  me,  I  will  command  my 
people  ;  otherwise,  they  shall  hearken 
unto  these  things."  Thus  we  see, 
that  a  man  among  the  Nephites,  by 
the  law  of  God,  had  no  right  to  take 
more  than  one  wife,  unless  the  Lord 
should  command  for  the  purpose  of 
raising  up  seed  unto  Himself.  With- 
out such  a  command,  they  were  strict- 
ly limited  to  the  one  wife  doctrine  : 
"otherwise"  saks  the  Lord,  "they  shall 
hearken  vnto  these  things ;  "  that  is, 
without  an  express  command,  they 
should  hearken  to  the  law,  limiting  them 
to  one  wife.  So  it  is  in  this  church 
of  Latter  Day  Saints,  every  man  is 
strictly  limited  to  one  wife,  unless  the 
Lord,  through  the  President  and  Pro- 
phet of  the  Church,  gives  a  revela- 
tion permitting  him  to  take  more. 
Without  such  a  revelation  it  would 
be  sinful,  according  to  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  which  this  church  are  re- 
quired to  obey.  Hence,  the  Book  of 
Mormon  is  somewhat  more  strict  than 
the  Bible  ;  for  there  is  nothing  in  the 
Bible  that  limits  mankind  to  one 
wife,  but  the  Book  of  Mormon  does 
absolutely  forbid  a  man  to  have  more 
than  one  wife,  unless  God  shall  com- 
mand otherwise. 

Now  in  the  early  rise  of  this  church, 
the  Lord  gave  no  command  unto  any 
of  His  servants  authorizing  them  to 
take  more  than  one  wife,  but  on  the 
contrary,  said  unto  them  that  they 
should  give  heed  to  that  which  was 
written  in  the  book  of  Mormon ; 
therefore,  they  were  under  the  strict- 
est obligations  to  confine  themselves 
to  one  wife,  until  a  commandment 
came  to  the  contrary,  which  the 
Lord  did  not  see  proper  to  give  unto 
any  of  them,  until  about  thirteen 
years  after  the  first  organization  of 
the  church.  The  church,  therefore, 
are  still  restricted,  by  the  severest 
penalties,  to  one  wife,  according  to 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  unless  in  indi- 
vidual cases  where  the  Lord  shall, 
by  revelation,  direct  otherwise. 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


31 


No  man  in  Utah,  who  already  has 
a  wife,  and  who  may  desire  to  obtain 
another,  has  any  right  to  make  any 
propositions  of  marriage  to  a  lady, 
until  he  has  consulted  the  President 
over  the  whole  church,  and  through 
him,  obtains  a  revelation  from  God,  j 
as  to  whether  it  would  be  pleasing 
in  His  sight.  If  he  is  forbidden  by 
revelation,  that  ends  the  matter :  if, 
by  revelation,  the  privelege  is  grant, 
ed,  he  still  has  no  right  to  consult 
the  feelings  of  the  young  lady,  until 
he  has  obtained  the  approbation  of  her 
her  parents,  provided  they  are  living 
in  Utah  ;  if  their  consent  cannot  be 
obtained,  this  also  ends  the  matter. 
But  if  the  parents  or  guardians  freely 
give  their  consent,  then  he  may  make 
propositions  of  marriage  to  the  young 
lady  ;  if  she  refuse  these  propositions, 
this  also  ends  the  matter  ;  but  if  she 
accept,  a  day  is  generally  set  apart 
by  the  parties  for  the  marriage  cere- 
mony to  be  celebrated.  It  is  neces- 
sary to  state,  that  before  any  man 
takes  the  least  step  towards  getting 
another  wife,  it  is  his  duty  to  consult 
the  feelings  of  the  wife  which  he  al- 
ready has,  and  obtain  her  consent,  as 
recorded  in  the  24th  paragraph  of 
the  revelation,  published  in  the  first 
No.  of  "The  Seer." 

When  the  day  set  apart  for  the 
solemnization  ot  the  marriage  cere- 
mony has  arrived,  the  bridegroom, 
and  his  wife,  and  also  the  bride,  to- 
getrier  with  their  relatives,  and  such 
other  guests  as  may  be  invited,  as- 
semble at  the  place  which  they  have 
appointed.  The  scribe  then  proceeds 
to  take  the  names,  ages,  native  towns, 
counties,  States,  and  countries  of  the 
parties  to  be  married,  which  he  care- 
fully enters  on  record.  The  Presi- 
dent, who  is  the  Prophet,  Seer,  and 
Revelator  over  the  whole  church 
throughoat  the  world,  and  who  alone 
holds  the  keys  of  authority  in  this 
solemn  ordinance,  ^as  recorded  in  the 
2d  and  5th  paragraphs  of  the  Reve- 
lation  on  Marriage,) — calls  upon  the 
bridegroom,  and  his  wife,  and  the 
bride  to  arise,  which  they  do,  fronting 
the  President.  The  wife  stands  on 
the  left  hand  of  her  husband,  while 


the  bride  stands  on  her  left.  The 
President,  then,  puts  this  question 
to  the  wife:  "Are  you  willing  to 
give  this  woman  to  your  husband  to 
be  his  lawful  and  wedded  wife  for 
time  and  for  all  eternity  ?  If  you  are, 
you  will  manifest  it  by  placing  her 
right  hand  within  the  right  hand  of 
your  husband."  The  right  hands  of. 
the  bridegroom  and  bride,  being  thus 
joined,  the  wife  takes  her  husband  by 
the  left  arm,  as  if  in  the  attitude  of 
walking  :  the  President,  then,  pro- 
ceeds to  ask  the  following  question 
of  the  man  :  Do  you  brother,  (calling 
him  byname,)  take  sister,  (calling  the 
bride  by  her  name,)  by  the  right  hand 
to  receive  her  unto  yourself  to  be 
your  lawful  and  wedded  wife,  and 
you  to  be  her  lawful  and  wedded  hus- 
band for  time  and  for  all  eternity, 
with  a  covenant  and  promise,  on  your 
part,  that  you  will  fulfil  all  the  laws, 
rites,  and  ordinances,  pertaining  to 
this  holy  matrimony,  in  the  new  and 
everlasting  covenant,  doing  this  in 
the  presence  of  God,  angels,  and 
these  witnesses  of  your  own  free  will 
and  choice  ?"  The  bridegroom  an- 
swers, yes.  The  President,  then, 
puts  the  question  to  the  bride  :  "  Do 
you,  sister,  (calling  her  by  name,) 
take  brother,  (calling  him  by  name,) 
by  the  right  hand,  and  give  yourself 
to  him,  to  be  his  lawful  and  wedded 
wife  for  time  and  for  all  eternity  with 
a  covenant  and  promise,  on  your  part, 
that  you  will  fulfil  all  the  laws,  rites, 
and  ordinances,  pertaining  to  this 
holy  matrimony,  in  the  new  and 
everlasting  covenant,  doing  this  in 
the  presence  of  God,  angels,  and 
these  witnesses  of  your  own  free  will 
and  choice  ?"  The  bride  answers, 
yes.  The  President  then  says,  "  In 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  by  the  authority  of  the  Holy 
i  riesthood,  I  pronounce  you  legally 
and  lawfully  husband  and  wife  for 
time  and  for  all  eternity  ;  and  I  seal 
j  upon  you  the  blessings  of  the  holy 
i  resurrection,  with  power  to  come 
forth  in  the  morning  of  the  first  re- 
I  surrection,  clothed  with  glory,  immor- 
;  tality,  and  eternal  lives  ;  and  I  seal 
I  upon  you   the  blessings  of  thrones, 


32  CATALOGUE  OF  WORKS,  CONTENTS,  &C. 


and  dominions,  and  principalities,  and 
powers,  and  exaltations,  together  with 
the  blessings  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob,  and  say  unto  you  be  fruitful, 
and  multiply,  and  replenish  the  earth, 
that  you  may  have  joy  and  rejoicing 
in  your  posterity  in  the  day  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.  All  these  blessings,  to- 
gether  with  all  other  blessings  per- 
taining  to   the   new  and  everlasting 


covenant,  I  seal  upon  your  heads, 
through  your  faithfulness  unto  the 
end,  by  the  authority  of  the  Holy 
Priesthood,  in  the  name  of  the  Fa- 
ther, and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  Amen-"  The  scribe,  then, 
enters  on  che  general  record,  the  date 
and  place  of  the  marriage,  together 
with  the  names  of  two  or  three  wit- 
nesses who  were  present. 


(To  be  continued.) 


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CONTENTS. 

The  Pre-existence  of  Man 17 

Celestial  Marriage 25 

Catalogue  of  Works 33 


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«M! 


hit 


111  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  lie 
lifteth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains.— Isaiah  xvni,  3. 


Vol.  I. 


MARCH,  1853. 


No.  3. 


FIGURE  AND  MAGNITUDE  OF  SPIRITS. 


Both  animals  and  vegetables  con- 
sist   of  two    substances,  very  differ- 1 
<ent  in  their    nature,  viz  :    body  and 
spirit.     The  body  is  composed  of  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  matter,  such  as  oxygen, ! 
hydrogen,  nitrogen,  carbon,  lime,  <kc.  j 
These,    united    or    chemically    com- , 
bined,  form,  in  animals,  flesh,  bones, 
arteries,  veins,  nerves,  muscles,  sin- ' 
ews,  skin,  and  all  the  various  parts  j 
of  the  animal  tabernacle;  and  these  i 
parts,  being  properly  organized,  form 
the  physical  peculiarities  which  dis-  j 
tinguish  the  species.     By  a  combina- 
tion  and   organization   of  the    above 
elements,  the  roots,  trunks,  branches, 
leaves,  &c,  of  trees  and  other  vege- 
tables, are  formed.     Connected  with 
these  corporeal  bodies,  composed  of 
the  coarser  materials  of  nature,  there 
is  another  material  substance  called 
spirit,  of  a  more  refined  nature,  pos- 
sessing some  properties  in  common 
with  other  matter,  and  other  qualities 
far  superior  to  other  matter.     "Vege- 
table and  animal  life  is  nothing  more 
ner  less  than  vegetable  and  animal 
spirit.     The  spirit  of  a  vegetable  is 
in  the  same  image  and  likeness  of  its 
tabernacle,  and  of  the  same  magni- 
tude,  for  it  fills  every  part  thereof.     It 
is  capable  of  existing  in  an  organized 
form  before    it    enters  its  vegetable 
house,  and  also  after  it  departs  from 
it.     If  the  spirit  of  an  apple  tree  were 
rendered  visible  when  separated  from 
its  natural  tabernacle,  it  would  appear 


in  the  form,  likeness,  and  magnitude 
of  the  natural  apple  tree;  and  so  it  is 
with  the  spirit  of  every  other  tree,  or 
herb,  or  blade  of  grass,  its  shape,  its 
magnitude,  and  its  appearance,  re- 
semble  the  natural  tabernacle  intend- 
ed for  its  residence.  It  is  the  organ- 
ized spirit  that  manifests  life;  it  is 
the  spirit  that  animates  the  vegeta- 
ble, that  causes  it  to  grow,  that 
shapes  its  different  parts,  that  pre- 
serves it  from  decaying,  that  enables 
it  to  bud  and  blossom  and  bring  forth 
seed.  When  the  spiritual  vegetable 
withdraws,  the  natural  one  decays 
and  returns  to  its  original  elements  ; 
but  its  spirit,  being  a  living  sub- 
stance, remains  in  its  organized  form, 
capable  of  happiness  in  its  own 
sphere,  and  will  again  inhabit  a  ce- 
lestial tabernacle  when  all  things  are 
made  new.  The  spirits  offish,  birds, 
beasts,  insects,  and  of  man,  are  in 
the  image  and  likeness  of  their  natu- 
ral bodies  of  flesh  and  bones,  and  of 
the  same  magnitude,  filling  every  part 
of  the  same.  It  is  this  spiritual  sub- 
stance, and  not  the  body,  that  sees, 
hears,  tastes,  smells,  feels,  thinks, 
enjoys,  suffers,  and  manifests  every 
other  affection  or  passion  character- 
istic of  the  animal  creation.  It  is  this 
self-moving,  powerful  substance,  that 
quickens,  animates,  and  moves  the 
natural  body — that  forms  and  fashions 
every  part — that  preserves  the  organ- 
ization from  decay  and  death.    None 


34 


FIGURE    AND    MAGNITUDE    OF    SPIRITS. 


of  the  spirits  of  the  whole  animal 
creation  are  disorganized  by  the  death 
of  the  body,  but  are  capable  of  feel- 
ing, thinking,  moving,  enjoying,  suf. 
fering,  out  ot  the  body  as  well  as  in 
it.  They  are  eternal,  and  will  exist 
forever,  capable  of  joy  and  happiness. 

The  spirits  of  both  vegetables 
and  animals  are  invisible  to  the  nat- 
ural eye  ;  we,  therefore,  do  not  know 
or  comprehend  their  nature  as  per- 
fectly as  we  do  many  other  substances 
which  are  more  directly  tangible  to 
our  senses ;  for  this  reason  Solomon 
inquires,  "  Who  knoweth  the  spirit  of 
man  that  goeth  upward,  and  the  spirit 
of  the  beast  that  goeth  downward." 
(Eccles.  3:  31.)  By  this  passage 
Solomon  shows  plainly  that  the  beast 
has  a  spirit  as  well  as  man. 

That  vegetables  as  well  as  ani- 
animals  have  spirits,  is  clearly  shown 
from  the  fact  that  they  have  capaci- 
ties for  joy  and  rejoicing.  The 
Psalmist  says,  "  Let  the  field  be  joy- 
ful and  all  that  is  therein  :  then  shall 
all  the  trees  of  the  wood  rejoice  be- 
fore the  Lord  :  for  He  cometh,  for  He 
cometh  to  judge  the  earth."  (Psalm 
96  :  12,  13.)  As  "all  that  is  in  ihe 
field,"  and  "  all  the  trees  of  the  wood 
rejoice,"  we  are  compelled  to  believe 
that  every  vegetable,  whether  great 
or  small,  has  a  living  intelligent  spirit 
capable  of  feeling,  knowing,  and  re- 
joicing in  its  sphere.  One  of  the  in- 
spired writers  informs  us  that  the  an- 
imal creation  are  endowed  with  great 
wisdom.  He  says,  "  There  be  four 
things  which  are  little  upon  the  earth, 
but  they  are  exceeding  wise  :  the  ants 
are  a  people  not  strong,  yet  they  pre- 
pare  their  meat  in  the  summer  ;  the 
conies  are  but  a  feeble  folk,  yet  make 
they  their  houses  in  the  rocks  ;  the 
locusts  have  no  king,  yet  go  they  forth 
all  of  them  by  bands  ;  the  spider 
taketh  hold  with  her  hands,  and  is  in 
kings'  palaces."  (Prov.  30  :  24-28.) 
John  heard  the  whole  animal  creation 
praising  God,  and  making  use  of  in- 
telligent language.  He  declares  that 
"every  creature  which  is  in  Heaven 
and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the  earth, 
and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all 
that    are    in    them,  heard  1  saying, 


Blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and 
power,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth  upon 
the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  forever 
and  ever."  (Rev.  5:  13.)  From 
these  passages  we  learn  that  every 
fowl  and  fish,  beast  and  creeping 
thing,  will  be  in  the  possession  of 
great  wisdom  and  knowledge  ;  they 
will  know  about  God  and  His  throne, 
and  about  the  Lamb,  and  they  will 
talk,  in  an  intelligent  manner,  about 
His  "  honor,  and  glory,  and  power." 
Now  they  could  not  possess  wisdom, 
knowledge,  language,  and  under- 
standing, concerning  the  attributes  of 
God  and  of  His  Son,  unless  they  have 
an  intelligent  mind  or  spirit  as  vreJl  as 
man. 

Having  proved  that  each  indi- 
vidual of  the  vegetable  and  animal 
kingdom  contains  a  living  spirit,  pos- 
sessed of  intelligent  capacities,  let  us 
next  inquire  concerning  the  shape  or 
form  of  these  spirits,  as  represented 
in  various  parts  of  the  Scriptures. 
The  immaterialist  considers  all  spir- 
itual  substance  to  have  neither  form, 
nor  magnitude,  nor  any  relation  to 
space  or  duration.*  We  shall  not  at- 
tempt in  this  article  to  refute  these 
absurd  notions,  but  shall  assume  that 
all  spiritual  substance  is  material, 
having  form,  and  magnitude,  and  all 
the  essential  properties  of  other  mat- 
ter; and  that  in  addition  to  these,  it 
possesses  the  capacities  of  intelli- 
gence and  self  motion. 

That  the  form  of  the  spirit  is  in 
the  likeness  of  the  tabernacle,  is 
evident  from  the  description  of  the 
spirit  of  Samuel,  which  appeared  to 
Saul  and  conversed  with  him.  The 
spirit  of  Samuel  was  first  seen  by  the 
woman  with  whom  Saul  was  conver- 
sing. "  And  when  the  woman  saw 
Samuel,  she  cried  with  a  loud  voice  : 
and  the  woman  spake  to  Saul,  saying, 
Why  hast  thou  deceived  me  ?  for  thou 
art  Saul.  And  the  king  said  unto  her, 
Be  not  afraid  :  for  what  sawest  thou  ? 
And  the  woman  said  unto  Saul.  I  saw 
gods  ascending  out  of  the  earth.  And 
he  said  unto  her,  What  FORM  is  he 


*  See  my  treatise  on  the   Absurdities  of 
Immaterialism. 


FIGURE    AND    MAGNITUDE   OF    SPIRITS. 


35 


of?  And  she  said,  An  old  man  i  spirits  must  have  had  form,  or  John 
cometh  up,  and  he  is  covered  with  a  could  not  have  seen  them  :  they  were 
mantle.  And  Saul  perceived  that  it  capable  of  speaking  with  a  loud  voice 
was  Samuel,  and  he  stooped  with  his   and  of  wearing  while    robes.       f  a 


face  to  the   ground  and  bowed  him 
self."     (1  Sam.  28:  12-14.)     It  will 


spirit   have  no  form,  it  could  neither 
peak   nor  wear  clothing.     We  have 


be  perceived  that  the  form  of  Sam-  \  already  seen  that  the  spirit  ofSamuel 
uel's  spirit  was  that  of  "  an  old  man,"1  was  clothed  with  a  mantle,  while 
"  covered  with  a  mantle."  Now  this  ■  those  that  John  saw,  had  white  robes 
could  not  have  been  Samuel's  body,  given  to  them.  These  passages 
for  that  was  mouldering  in  the  grave  ;  j  prove  that  the  spirits  of  men  are  in 
therefore  it  must  have  been  his  spirit,    the  shape  or  image  of  the  fleshly  taber- 


From  the  form  which  this  spirit  had 
Saul  was  enabled  to  "perceive  that 
it  was  Sajnuel."  Saul,  after  bowing 
down  to  the  ground  with  reverence 
before  Samuel,  entered  into  conver- 
sation with  him  ;  and  Samuel  pro- 
phesied  unto  him,  and  told  him  what 
should  befal  Israel,  and  that  he  and 
his  sons  should  be  slain  the  next  day 
and  come  into  the  spiritual  world  with 
him. 

When  the  three  Hebrews  were 
cast  into  the  fiery  furnace,  Nebuchad- 
nezzar was  astonished,  "and  said, 
lo !  I  see  four  men  loose,  walking  in 
the  midst  of  the  fire,  and  they  have 
no  hurt  ;  and  the  FORM  of  the  fourth 
is  like  unto  the  Son  of  God."  (Dan. 
3  :  25.)  This  fourth  personage  walk- 
ing in  the  fire  must  have  been  the 
spiritual  body  of  the  Son  of  God,  or 
some  other  spiritual  body  resembling 
him  in  form.  The  form  of  this  spir- 
itual body  resembles  also  the  form  of 
man,  hence  he  exclaimed,  "  I  see  four 
men  loose." 

The     revelator,     John,     saw     the 


nacle,  and  that  the  spirit  of  the  Son 
of  God,  before  he  took  upon  himself 
flesh,  did  resemble  man,  and  was  in 
the  likeness  or  shape  of  his  fleshly 
body,  into  which  he  afterwards  en- 
tered. 

The  shape  or  form  of  the  spirits 
of  beasts  is  in  the  image  of  their 
natural  bodies.  When  Elijah  was 
escorted  to  heaven,  he  had  the  honor 
of  riding  in  a  chariot  drawn  by  horses. 
(2  Kings  2:  11,  12.)  When  the 
king  of  Syria  sent  horses  and  char- 
iots, and  a  great  host,  to  take  Elisha, 
the  prophet,  and  carry  him  a  prisoner 
into  the  Syrian  army,  the  servant  of 
the  prophet,  seeing  his  master  sur- 
rounded by  such  a  formidable  host, 
was  very  much  alarmed  for  his  safety, 
and  cried  out,  "Alas,  my  master  !  how 
shall  we  do  ?  And  he  answered, 
Fear  not :  for  they  that  be  with  us 
are  more  than  they  that  be  with  them. 
And  Elisha  prayed,  and  said,  Lord,  I 
pray  thee  open  his  eyes  that  he  may 
see.  And  the  Lord  opened  the  eyes 
of  the  young  man,  and  he  saw;  and, 


spirits  of  the  martyrs,  which  he  de-    behold,  the    mountain     was    full    of 


scribes  as  follows  :  "  And  when  he 
had  opened  the  fifth  seal,  I  saw  under 
the  altar  the  souls  of  them  that  were 
slain  for  the  word  of  God  and  for  the 
testimony  which  they  held  ;  and  they 
cried  with  a  loud  voice  saying,  How 
long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou 
not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood  on 
them  that  dwell  on  the  earth?  And 
white  robes  were  given  unto  every 
one  of  them  ;  and  it  was  said  unto 
them  that  they  should  rest  yet  for  a 
little  season  until  their  fellow  ser- 
vants and  their  brethren,  that  should 
be  killed  as  they  were,  should  be  ful- 


HORSES  and  chariots  of  fire  round 
about  Elisha."  (2  Kings  6  :  15-17.) 
These  horses  shone  with  the  bril- 
liancy of  fire.  They  were  spiritual 
horses,  under  the  management  and 
control  of  an  army  of  spirits  riding  in 
chariots.  These  spirits  of  horses 
must  have  been  in  the  same  shape  as 
the  natural  bodies  of  horses,  or  else 
they  would  not  have  been  recognised 
as  belonging  to  that  species  of  ani- 
mals. They  were  exceedingly  nu- 
merous, so  that  "  the  mountain  was 
full"  of  them. 

John  says,  "  I  saw  Heaven  open. 


filled."      (Rev.    6  :    9-11.)      These  I  ed,  and  behold  a  WHITE  HORSE  ; 


36 


FIGURE  AND    MAGNITUDE    OF  SPIRITS. 


and  He  that  sat  upon  him  was 
was  called  Faithful  and  True,  and  in 
righteousness  He  doeth  judge  and 
make  war."  "  And  the  armies  which 
were  in  Heaven  followed  Him  upon 
WHITE  HORSES,  clothed  in  fine 
linen,  white  and  clean." — Rev.  19  : 
II,  14.  Thus,  we  perceive,  that  the 
Son  of  God,  himself,  and  all  the  armies 
of  Heaven,  occasionally  ride  on  horse- 
back ;  and,  therefore,  there  must  be 
thousands  of  millions  of  horses  in 
Heaven  ;  and  as  no  horses,  pertain- 
ing to  this  earth,  had  then  received  a 
resurrection,  these,  doubtless,  were 
the  spiritual  bodies  of  horses  whose 
natural  bodies  had  returned  to  the 
dust. 

As  we  have  proved,  that  the  spir- 
its of  men,  and  of  horses,  and  of  all 
manner  of  beasts,  and  of  creep- 
ing things,  and  of  birds,  are  in  the 
shape  of  their  mortal  tabernacles,  it 
is  reasonable  to  infer,  analogically, 
that  the  spirits  of  grass,  of  herbs, 
and  of  trees,  are  in  the  form  of  the 
natural  bodies  of  the  respective  vege- 
tables  which  they  once  inhabited  ; 
and  that  those  vegetables  which  are 
now  living,  are  inhabited  by  living 
spirits  in  the  form  of  themselves. 

All  spirits  have  magnitude,  as 
well  as  form,  which  can  be  clearly 
shown  from  the  Scriptures.  Those 
passages,  that  have  been  already 
quoted,  proving  that  spirits  have  form, 
also  prove  that  they  have  magnitude. 
The  Spirit  of  Samuel,  as  seen  by 
Saul,  and  the  spirit  of  the  Son  of 
God,  walking  in  the  fiery  furnace, 
were,  both,  of  the  size  of  men.  The 
spirits  of  horses,  beasts,  birds,  and 
creeping  things,  were,  not  only  of 
the  shape  of  their  respective  natural 
bodies,  but  were  evidently  of  the 
same  size  as  those  bodies  when  full 
grown  ;  otherwise  they  would  have 
been  represented,  as  infants  instead 
of  men,  as  colts  instead  of  horses,  &c. 

The  tabernacles  of  both  animals 
and  vegetables  continue  to  grow 
or  increase  in  size,  until  they  attain 


to  the  original  magnitude  of  their 
respective  spirits,  after  which  the 
growth  ceases.  When  the  spirit 
first  takes  possession  of  the  vegeta- 
ble or  animal  seed  or  embryo,  it  con- 
tracts itself  into  a  bulk  of  the  same 
dimension  as  the  seed  or  tabernacle 
into  which  it  enters  :  this  is  proved 
from  the  feet,  that  the  spiritual  body 
of  the  Son  of  God,  seen  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, was  of  the  size  of  man,  and 
yet  this  same  spiritual  body  was 
afterwards  sufficiently  contracted  to 
enter  into,  and  to  be  wholly  contained 
within  an  infant  tabernacle.  In  like 
manner,  every  other  spirit,  whether 
vegetable  or  animal,  is  of  the  full  size 
of  the  prospective  tabernacle,  when 
it  shall  have  attained  its  full  growth  ; 
and,  therefore,  when  it  first  enters 
the  same,  it  must,  like  the  spiritual 
body  of  the  Son  of  God,  be  greatly 
diminished  from  its  original  dimen- 
sions. Spirits,  therefore,  must  be 
composed  of  substances,  highly  elas- 
tic in  their  nature,  that  is,  they  have 
the  power  to  resume  their  former 
dimensions,  as  additional  matter  is 
secreted  for  the  enlargement  of  their 
tabernacles.  It  is  this  expanding 
force,  exerted  by  the  spirit,  which 
gradually  developes  the  tabernacle 
as  the  necessary  materials  are  sup- 
plied. 

When  the  limb  of  a  tree  or  of 
an  animal  is  severed  from  the  main 
body,  the  spirit,  occupying  that 
limb,  is  not  severed  from  the  other 
parts  of  the  spirit,  but  immediately 
contracts  itself  into  the  living  por- 
tions of  the  body,  leaving  the  limb 
to  decay.  The  contraction  of  spirit- 
ual bodies  is  still  further  proved,  from 
the  fact,  that  a  legion  of  wicked 
spirits  actually  huddled  themselves 
together  in  the  tabernacle  of  one 
man.  These  wicked  spirits,  being 
fallen  angels,  were  actually  in  the 
shape  and  size  of  the  spirits  of  men  j 
therefore,  they  must  have  been  ex- 
ceedingly contracted  to  have  all  en- 
tered one  human  body. 


THE   PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


THE  PRE-EXISTENCE  OF  MAN. 

(Continued.) 


23.  The  celestial  beings  who  dwell 
in  the  Heaven  from  which  we  came, 
having  been  raised  from  the  grave,  in 
a  former  world,  and  having  been  filled 
with  all  the  fulness  of  these  eternal  at- 
tributes, are  called  Gods,  because  the 
fulness  of  God  dwells  in  each.  Both 
the  males  and  the  females  enjoy  this 
fulness.  The  celestial  vegetables  and 
fruits  which  grow  out  of  the  soil  of 
this  redeemed  Heaven,  constitute  the 
food  of  the  Gods.  This  food  differs 
from  the  food  derived  from  the  vege- 
tables of  a  fallen  world  :  the  latter  are 
converted  into  blood,  which,  circulat- 
ing in  the  veins  and  arteries,  pro- 
duces  flesh  and  bones  of  a  mortal 
nature,  having  a  constant  tendency 
to  decay:  while  the  former,  or  celes- 
tial  vegetables,  are,  when  digested  in 
the  stomach,  converted  into  a  fluid, 
which,  in  its  nature,  is  spiritual,  and 
which,  circulating  in  the  veins  and 
arteries  of  the  celestial  male  and  fe- 
male,  preserves  their  tabernacles  from 
decay  and  death.  Earthly  vege- 
tables  form  blood,  and  blood  forms 
flesh  and  bones;  celestial  vegetables, 
when  digested,  form  a  spiritual  fluid 
which  gives  immortality  and  eternal 
iifetothe  organization  in  which  it  flows. 

24.  Fallen  beings  beget  child- 
ren whose  bodies  are  constituted  of 
flesh  and  bones,  being  formed  out  of 
the  blood  circulating  in  the  veins  of 
the  parents.  Celestial  beings  beget 
children,  composed  of  the  fluid  which 
circulates  in  their  veins,  which  is 
spiritual,  therefore,  their  children 
must  be  spirits,  and  not  flesh  and 
bones.  This  is  the  origin  of  our 
spiritual  organization  in  Heaven. 
The  spirits  of  all  mankind,  destined 
for  this  earth,  were  begotten  by  a 
father,  and  born  of  a  mother  in  Hea- 
ven, long  anterior  to  the  formation  of 
this  world.  The  personages  of  the 
father  and  mother  of  our  spirits,  had 
a  beginning  to  their  organization, 
but  the  fulness  of  truth  (which  is 
God)  that  dwells  in  them,  had  no  be- 
ginning; being  "from  everlasting  to 
everlasting."     (Psalm  90  :  2.) 


25.  In  the  Heaven  where  our 
spirits  were  born,  there  are  many 
Gods,  each  one  of  whom  has  his  own 
wife  or  wives  which  were  given  to 
him  previous  to  his  redemption,  while 
yet  in  his  mortal  state.  Each  God, 
through  his  wife  or  wives,  raises  up 
a  numerous  family  of  sons  and  daugh- 
ters ;  indeed,  there  will  be  no  end  to 
the  increase  of  his  own  children  :  for 
each  father  and  mother  will  be  in  a 
condition  to  multiply  forever  and  ever. 
As  soon  as  each  God  has  begotten 
many  millions  of  male  and  female 
spirits,  and  his  Heavenly  inheritance 
becomes  too  small,  to  comfortably  ac- 
commodate his  great  family,  he,  in 
connection  with  his  sons,  organizes  a 
new  worW,  after  a  similar  order  to  the 
one  which  we  now  inhabit,  where  he 
sends  both  the  male  and  female 
spirits  to  inhabit  tabernacles  of  flesh 
and  bones.  Thus  each  God  forms  a 
world  for  the  accommodationofhisown 
sons  and  daughters  who  are  sent 
forth  in  their  times  and  seasons,  and 
generations  to  be  born  into  the  same. 
The  inhabiiants  of  each  world  are 
required  to  reverence,  adore,  and 
worship  their  own  personal  father 
who  dwells  in  the  Heaven  which  they 
formerly  inhabited. 

26.  When  a  world  is  redeemed 
from  its  fallen  state,  and  made  into  a 
Heaven,  all  the  animal  creation  are 
raised  from  the  dead,  and  become  ce- 
lestial and  immortal.  The  food  of 
these  animals  is  derived  from  the 
vegetables,  growing  on  a  celestial 
soil ;  consequently,  it  is  not  converted 
into  blood,  but  into  spirit  which  cir- 
culates  in  the  veins  of  these  animals  ; 
therefore,  their  offspring  will  be 
spiritual  bodies,  instead  of  flesh  and 
bones.  Thus  the  spirits  of  beasts,  of 
fowls,  and  of  all  living  creatures,  are 
the  offspring  of  the  beasts,  fowls,  and 
creatures  which  have  been  redeemed 
or  raised  from  the  dead,  and  which 
will  multiply  spirits,  according  to  their 
respective  species,  forever  and  ever. 

27.  As  these  spiritual  bodies,  in 
all  their  varieties  and  species,  become 


38 


THE   TRE-EXISTENCE   OF   MAN. 


numerous  in  Heaven,  each  God  will 
send  those  under  hisjurisdiction  to  take 
bodies  of  flesh  and  bones  on  the  same 
world  to  which  he  sends  his  own  sons 
and  daughters.  As  each  God  is  "  The 
God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh,"  per- 
taining to  the  world  which  he  forms  ; 
and  as  he  holds  supreme  dominion  over 
them  in  Heaven,  when  he  sends  them 
into  a  temporal  or  terrestrial  world, 
he  commits  this  dominion  into  the 
hands  of  his  sons  and  daughters, 
which  inhabit  the  same. 

28.  When  the  world  is  redeemed, 
the  vegetable  creation  is  redeemed 
and  made  new,  as  well  as  the  ani- 
mal ;  and  when  planted  in  a  celestial 
soil,  each  vegetable  derives  its  nour- 
ishment therefrom ;  and  the  fluid, 
thus  derived,  circulates  in  the  pores 
and  cells  of  the  vegetable  tabernacle, 
and  preserves  it  from  decay  and 
death ;  this  same  fluid,  thus  circu- 
lating, forms  a  spiritual  seed,  which 
planted,  grows  into  a  spiritual  vege- 
table ;  this  differs  from  the  parent 
vegetable,  in  that  it  has  no  taber- 
nacle. This  is  the  origin  of  spiritual 
vegetables  in  Heaven.  These  spiri- 
tual vegetables  are  sent  from  Hea- 
ven to  the  terrestrial  worlds,  where, 
like  animals,  they  take  natural  taber. 
nacles,  which  become  food  for  the 
sustenance  of  the  natural  tabernacles 
of  the  animal  creation.  Thus  the 
spirits  of  both  vegetables  and  ani- 
mals are  the  offspring  of  male  and 
female  parents  which  have  been 
raised  from  the  dead,  or  redeemed 
from  a  fallen  condition,  with  the 
world  upon  which  they  dwelt. 

29.  The  number  of  the  sons  and 
daughters  of  God,  born  in  Heaven 
before  this  earth  was  formed,  is  not 
known  by  us.  They  must  have  been 
exceedingly  numerous,  as  may  be 
perceived,  by  taking  into  considera- 
tion the  vast  numbers  which  have 
already  come  from  Heaven,  and 
peopled  our  planet,  during  the  past 
six  thousand  years.  The  amount  of 
population  now  on  the  globe,  is  es- 
timated in  round  numbers  at  one 
thousand  million.  If  we  take  this 
estimation  for  the  average  number 
per  century,  during  the   seven  thou- 


'sand  years  of  its  temporal  existence,, 
it  will  amount  to  seventy  thousand 
millions.  During  the  early  age  of 
the  world,  there  were  many  centuries 
in  which  the  amount  of  population 
would  fall  short  of  this  average;  but 
during  the  Millennium,  or  the  last 
age  of  the  world,  the  population 
will,  probably,  far  exceed  this  aver- 
age. Seventy  thousand  million, 
therefore,  is  a  rough  approximation 
to  the  number  of  inhabitants  which 
the  Lord  destined  to  dwell  in  the 
flesh  on  this  earth.  It  will  be  seen, 
from  this  estimation,  that  about 
seventy  thousand  million  sons  and 
daughters  were  born  in  Heaven,  and 
kept  their  first  estate,  and  were 
counted  worthy  to  have  a  new  world 
made  for  them,  wherein  they  were 
permitted  to  receive  bodies  of  flesh 
and  bones,  and  thus  enter  upon  their 
second  estate. 

30.  It  must  be  remembered,  that 
seventy  thousand  million,  however 
great  the  number  may  appear  to  us, 
are  but  two-thirds  of  the  vast  family 
of  spirits  who  were  begotten  before 
the  foundation  of  the  world  :  the 
other  third  part  of  the  family  did  not 
keep  the  first  estate.  Add  to  seventy 
thousand  million,  the  third  part  which 
fell,  namely,  thirty-five  thousand  mil- 
lion, and  the  sum  amounts  to  one  hun- 
dred and  five  thousand  million  which 
was  the  approximate  number  of  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  God  in  Heaven 
before  the  rebellion  which  broke  out 
among  them. 

31.  If  we  admit  that  one  person- 
age was  the  Father  of  all  this  great 
family,  and  that  they  were  all  born  of 
the  same  Mother,  the  period  of  time 
intervening  between  the  birth  of  the 
oldest  and  the  youngest  spirit  must 
have  been  immense.  If  we  suppose, 
as  an  average,  that  only  one  year  in- 
tervened between  each  birth,  then  it 
would  have  required,  over  one  hundred 
thousand  million  of  years  for  the  same 
Mother  to  have  given  birth  to  this 
vast  family.  The  law,  regulating 
the  formation  of  the  embryo  spirit, 
may,  as  it  regards  time,  differ  con- 
siderably from  the  period  required  for 
the  formation  of  the  infant  tabernacle 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


39 


of  flesh.  Should  the  period  between 
each  birth,  be  one  hundred  times 
shorter  than  what  is  required  in  this 
world,  (which  is  very  improbable,) 
it  would  still  require  over  one  thou- 
sand million  of  years  to  raise  up  such 
a  numerous  progeny.  But  as  hea- 
venly things  are,  in  many  respects, 
typical  of  earthly,  it  is  altogether 
probable  that  the  period  required  for 
the  formation  of  the  infant  spirit,  is 
of  the  same  length  as  that  required 
in  this  world  for  the  organization  of 
the  infant  tabernacle. 

32.  If  the  Father  of  these  spirits, 
prior  to  his  redemption,  had  secured 
to  himself,  through  the  everlasting 
covenant  of  marriage,  many  wives, 
as  the  prophet  David  did  in  our  world, 
the  period  required  to  people  a  world 
would  be  shorter,  within  certain  lim- 
its, in  proportion  to  the  number  of 
wives.  For  instance,  if  it  required 
one  hundred  thousand  million  of  years 
to  people  a  world  like  this,  as  above 
stated,  it  is  evident  that,  with  a  hun- 
dred wives,  this  period  would  be  re- 
duced to  only  one  thousand  million  of 
years.  Therefore,  a  Father,  with 
these  facilities,  could  increase  his 
kingdoms  with  his  own  children,  in  a 
hundred  fold  ratio  above  that  of 
another  who  had  only  secured  to  him- 
self one  wife.  As  yet,  we  have  only 
spoken  of  the  hundred  fold  ratio  as 
applied  to  his  own  children  ;  but  now 
let  us  endeavor  to  form  some  faint 
idea  of  the  multiplied  increase  of 
worlds  peopled  by  his  grandchildren, 
over  which  he,  of  course,  would  hold 
authority  and  dominion  as  the  Grand 
Patriarch  of  the  endless  generations 
of  his  posterity.  If,  out  of  the  whole 
population  of  the  first  redeemed  world, 
only  one  million  of  sons  were  re- 
deemed to  the  fulness  of  all  the  privi- 
leges and  glory  of  their  Father,  they, 
in  their  turn,  would  now  be  prepared 
to  multiply  and  people  worlds  the 
same  as  their  Father,  being  made 
like  him  and  one  with  him.  While 
their  Father,  therefore,  was  peopling 
the  second  world,  these  million  of  re- 
deemed sons  would  people  one  mil- 
lion of  worlds.  Each  of  these  worlds 
would  be  redeemed  and  glorified,  and 


become  celestial  worlds  or  heavens. 
Thus  there  would  be  the  "  Heaven 
of  Heavens"  inhabited  by  the  Grand 
Patriarch  and  those  of  the  same  order 
with  him;  secondly,  there  would  be 
the  two  redeemed  worlds  or  heavens 
inhabited  by  his  children  ;  and,  third- 
ly, there  would  be  the  one  million  of 
heavens  inhabited  by  his  grandchil- 
dren. We  have  only  estimated,  as 
yet,  the  second  generation  of  worlds. 
If  the  estimate  be  carried  slill  further 
in  the  same  ratio,  it  will  be  found 
that  the  number  in  the  third  genera- 
tion amounts  to  one  billion  three  mil- 
lion and  three  worlds.  The  fourth 
generation  would  people  over  a  tril- 
lion, and  the  fifth  over  a  quadrillion 
of  worlds;  while  the  one-hundredth, 
generation  would  people  more  worlds 
than  could  be  expressed  by  raising 
one  million  to  the  ninety-ninth  power. 
Any  mathematician  who  is  able  to 
enumerate  a  series  of  595  figures, 
will  be  able  to  give  a  very  close  ap- 
proximation to  the  number  of  woilds 
peopled  by  the  descendants  of  one 
Father  in  one  hundred  thousand  mil- 
lion of  years,  according  to  the  aver- 
age ratio  given  above.  Now  this  is 
the  period  in  which  only  one  world 
could  be  peopled  with  one  wife. 
While  the  Patriarch  with  his  hundred 
wives,  would  multiply  worlds  on 
worlds,  systems  on  systems,  more 
numerous  than  the  dust  of  all  the 
visible  bodies  of  the  universe,  and 
people  them  with  his  descendants  to 
the  hundredth  generation  of  worlds; 
the  other,  who  had  only  secured  to 
himself  one  wife,  would  in  the  same 
period,  just  barely  have  peopled  one 
world. 

33.  Each  father  gives  laws  to  his 
family,  adapted  to  the  degree  of 
knowledge  which  they  possess.  The 
laws  given  to  impart  the  ideas  of 
right  and  wrong  to  infant  spirits,  are 
of  a  more  simple  nature  than  those 
ordained  for  the  government  of  spirits 
after  they  have  acquired  this  knowl- 
edge. Each  law  has  its  appropriate 
penalty  affixed,  according  to  the  na- 
ture of  the  law  and  the  amount  of 
knowledge  possessed  by  the  beings 
whom  it  is  intended  to  govern.     The 


40 


THE   PRE-EXISTENCE    OF   MAN. 


penalties  or  chastisements  upon  in- 
fant  or  youthful  spirits,  while  learning 
to  distinguish  between  virtue  and 
vice,  are  not  as  severe  as  those  in- 
flicted  upon  disobedient  spirits  who 
have  already  acquired  these  ideas. 
After  having  learned  the  nature  of 
right  and  wrong  in  some  things,  laws 
will  be  given  teaching  them  their 
duties  towards  their  parents  and  to- 
wards each  other  as  brother  and  sis- 
ter spirits,  and  towards  the  angels 
who  are  servants  to  their  parents,  and 
towards  other  Gods  and  their  children 
and  servants  who  reside  in  the  same 
heaven.  Also,  some  spirits  will  be 
many  thousand  years  older  than  oth- 
ers ;  and,  therefore,  if  they  have  been 
diligent  in  observing  the  laws  given 
to  them,  they  will  be  far  more  intel- 
ligent than  their  younger  brethren. 
For  instance,  Jesus,  being  "  the  First 
Born  of  every  creature,"  would  have 
many  millions  of  years  experience  in 
advance  of  his  younger  brethren,  pro- 
viding that  they  were  all  begotten  by 
the  same  Father.  Now  those  that 
were  born  soon  after  Him  would  have 
nearly  the  same  amount  of  expe- 
rience. And  it  is  reasonable  to  sup- 
pose that  these  spirits  would  be  divi- 
ded into  classes,  according  to  their  age 
and  the  knowledge  they  had  gained 
through  obedience  to  the  laws  of  their 
father,  and  that  lessons  of  instruction 
would  be  imparted  to  each  class,  and 
still  higher  laws  be  unfolded,  to  gov- 
ern  them,  and  that  as  their  knowledge 
increased  so  would  their  responsibil- 
ities also  increase. 

34.  The  period  of  time  required  to 
educate  spirits  seems  to  have  been 
of  far  greater  duration  than  the  period 
allotted  to  us  in  our  second  estate. 
Some  of  the  older  spirits  must  have 
existed  millions  of  years  in  their  first 
estate,  before  they  were  privileged  to 
enter  this  world.  Now  during  this 
vast  period  they  must  have  had  ample 
opportunity  of  becoming  deeply 
learned  in  all  the  laws  of  spiritual  ex- 
istence. Dwelling  in  the  presence 
of  their  Father,  and  having  access  to 
all  His  servants,  the  angels,  and  the 
privileges  of  associating  with  all  the 
Gods  who  resided  in  the  same  Hea- 


ven and  who  were  of  the  same  order 
as  their  Father,  they  must  have  had 
facilities  for  acquiring  information  far 
beyond  anything  enjoyed  in  this  pro- 
bation. In  that  high  and  heavenly 
school  they  had  the  opportunities  of 
inquiring  of  their  Father  all  about  the 
elements  of  which  the  worlds  were 
constructed,  and  how  these  elements 
acted  upon  one  another,  and  concern- 
ing all  the  infinity  of  laws  which  had 
been  given  to  govern  them  in  their 
action,  their  combinations,  their 
unions,  and  their  organizations  ;  and 
in  fine,  they  must  have  been  in- 
structed in  all  the  art  and  science  of 
world  making. 

35.  There  were  some  things,  how- 
ever, which  these  spirits  could  not 
learn  while  they  remained  in  their 
first  estate  :  they  could  not  learn  the 
feelings  and  sensations  of  spirits  em- 
bodied in  tabernacles  of  flesh  and 
bones.  An  idea  of  these  feelings  and 
sensations  could  not  be  imparted  to 
them  by  teaching,  nor  by  any  other 
means  whatsoever.  No  power  of 
language  or  signs  could  give  them 
the  most  distant  idea  of  them.  An 
idea  of  those  feelings  and  sensations 
can  only  be  obtained  by  actual  expe- 
rience. They  might  be  described  to 
them  for  millions  of  ages,  and  yet 
without  being  placed  in  a  condition 
to  experience  them  for  themselves, 
they  never  could  form  any  ideas  con- 
cerning them.  This  may  be  illustra- 
ted by  supposing  an  infant  to  be  born 
in  a  dungeon  where  not  the  least  ray 
of  light  was  ever  permitted  to  enter. 
This  infant  might  grow  up  to  man- 
hood with  the  Organs  of  vision  per- 
fect, but  he  would  have  no  idea  what- 
ever of  the  sensation  of  seeing — he 
could  form  no  conception  of  light  or 
of  the  beauty  of  the  various  colors  of 
light,  though  this  sensation  might  be 
described  to  him  for  one  hundred 
years,  yet  no  power  of  language  could 
convey  to  him  the  faintest  idea  of  red 
or  green,  or  blue,  or  yellow,  or  of 
anything  else  connected  with  the  sen- 
sations  produced  by  light.  These 
feelings  could  only  be  learned  by  ac- 
tual experience ;  then,  and  not  till 
then,  would  he   know  anything  about 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


41 


it.     So,   likewise,    there    are    many  j  flesh  and   bones   that   can    only  be 
feelings  and  sensations  arising  from  learned  by  experience, 
the  intimate  connexion  of  spirits  with  |  (To  be  continued.) 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE- 

(Continued.) 


In  the  Revelation  on  Marriage, 
we  are  informed  that  there  is  never 
but  one  man  on  the  earth  at  the  same 
time  who  holds  ihe  keys  to  minister 
the  ceremony  of  marriage  for  time 
and  for  all  eternity,  and  to  seal  the 
same  on  earth  with  authority,  so  that 
it  may  be  acknowledged  and  sealed 
in  Heaven.  The  keys  of  authority 
are  conferred  by  revelation,  and  by 
the  holy  annointing,  upon  the  Prophet, 
Seer,  and  Revelator  of  the  church, 
who  is  the  President  over  all  the 
saints  throughout  the  world.  In 
cases  where  it  is  inconvenient  for 
him  to  attend,  he  has  the  authority  to 
appoint  others  to  officiate  in  his  stead. 
Rut  in  all  cases  of  this  nature,  he 
must  be  consulted  by  the  parties,  and 
his  sanction  be  obtained. 

When  a  man  who  has  a  wife, 
teaches  her  the  law  of  God,  as  re- 
vealed to  the  ancient  patriarchs,  and 
as  manifested  by  new  revelation,  and 
she  refuses  to  give  her  consent  for 
him  to  marry  another  according  to 
that  law,  then,  it  becomes  necessary, 
for  her  to  state  before  the  President 
the  reasons  why  she  withholds  her 
consent  ;  if  her  reasons  are  sufficient 
and  justifiable  and  the  husband  is 
found  in  the  fault,  or  in  transgression, 
then,  he  is  not  permitted  to  take 
any  step  in  regard  to  obtaining 
another.  Rut  if  the  wife  can  show 
no  good  reason  why  she  refuses  to 
comply  with  the  law  which  was  given 
unto  Sarah  of  old,  then  it  is  lawful 
for  her  husband,  if  permitted  by  reve- 
lation through  the  prophet,  to  be 
married  to  others  without  her  con- 
sent, and  he  will  be  justified,  and 
she  will  be  condemned,  because  she 
did  not  give  them  unto  him,  as  Sarah 
gave  Hagar  to  Abraham,  and  as 
Rachel  and  Leah  gave  Bilhah  and 
Zilpah  to  their  husband,  Jacob. 


It  is  the  duty  of  a  man  who  takes 
another  wife  to  look  after  her  wel- 
fare and  happiness,  and  to  provide 
for  her  the  comforts  of  life  the  same 
as  for  the  first ;  for  the  Scripture,  in 
speaking  of  such  a  man,  says,  "If 
he  take  him  another  wife  ;  her  food, 
her  raimant,  and  her  duty  of  mar- 
riage, shall  he  not  diminish."  (Exo- 
dus 21  :  10,) 

There  is  no  particular  rule,  as  re- 
gards the  residence  of  the  different 
branches  of  a  family.  It  is  very 
frequently  the  case  that  they  all  re- 
side in  the  same  dwelling,  and  take 
hold  unitedly  and  with  the  greatest 
cheerfulness,  of  the  different  branches 
of  household  or  domestic  business, 
eating  at  the  same  table,  and  kindly 
looking  after  each  others  welfare, 
while  the  greatest  peace  and  har- 
mony prevail  year  after  year.  Their 
children  play  and  associate  together 
with  the  greatest  affection  as  brothers 
and  sisters  ;  while  each  mother  ap- 
parently manifests  as  much  kindness 
and  tender  regard  for  the  children  of 
the  others,  as  for  her  own.  And 
morning  and  evening,  when  the  hus- 
band calls  together  his  family  to  wor- 
ship the  Lord  and  call  upon  his  name, 
they  all  bow  the  knee,  and,  with  the 
greatest  union  of  feeling,  offer  their 
devotions  to  the  Most  High. 

It  is  sometimes  the  case  that  the 
husband  provides  for  his  wives  sepa- 
rate habitations,  as  Jacob  did  for  his 
four  wives,  each  of  whom  had  a 
separate  tent.  (See  Genesis,  31  : 
33.)  Where  all  the  wives  are 
equally  faithful,  the  husband  gene- 
rally endeavors  to  treat  them  all 
without  partiality. 

Jealousy  is  an  evil  with  which 
the  saints  in  Utah  are  but  seldom 
troubled  :  it  is  an  evil  that  is  not 
countenanced     by    either    male    or 


42 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


female  ;  and  should  any  indulge  such 
a  passion,  they  would  bring  a  dis- 
grace and  reproach  upon  themselves 
which  they  could  not  easily  wipe 
away.  And  indeed,  it  is  very  rare, 
that  there  are  any  causes  for  jealousy; 
for  the  citizens  of  that  Territory 
think  more  of  their  virtue  than  they 
do  of  their  lives.  They  know,  that 
if  they  have  any  connections  out  of 
the  marriage  covenant,  they  not  only 
forfeit  their  lives  by  the  law  of  God, 
but  they  forfeit  their  salvation  also. 
With  such  views  resting  upon  the 
minds  of  both  old  and  young,  th«  peo- 
ple have  the  greatest  of  confidence  in 
each  others  integrity:  they  can  entrust 
their  wives  and  daughters,  without 
any  distrust,  to  the  protection  and 
care  of  their  neighbors.  Under  the 
strict  and  rigid  laws  of  virtue  which 
prevail  and  are  carried  into  general 
practice,  wives  are  not  in  constant 
fear  of  the  inconstancy  of  their  hus- 
bands ;  parents  are  not  fearful  of 
their  children  being  seduced  and 
their  characters  being  destroyed  ; 
neither  are  they  fearful  that  their 
children  will  form  contracts  of  mar- 
riage without  their  consent ;  for  such 
a  thing  is  not  allowed  in  the  whole 
territory.  Such  a  state  of  things 
actually  existing,  not  in  theory  alone, 
but  in  general  practice,  removes 
every  cause  for  jealousy,  distrust,  and 
want  of  confidence,  and  lays  a  broad 
and  permanent  foundation  for  peace 
and  union.  If  a  man  ill-treats  any 
one  of  his  wives,  he  is  looked  upon 
as  having  violated  the  law  of  God, 
and  it  is  difficult  for  him  to  recover 
from  the  disgrace. 

There  are  more  quarrellings,  and 
jealousies,  and  disunions,  and  evil 
speakings,  in  one  week,  among  two 
thousand  families,  taken  at  random 
any  where  in  the  United  States  or 
England,  than  would  be  seen  through, 
out  all  Utah  Territory  in  five  years. 
And  there  is  more  unvirtuous  conduct 
practiced  in  one  day  in  New  York 
city,  or  Albany,  or  Buffalo,  or  Cincin- 
nati, or  St.  Louis,  than  would  be  prac- 
ticed in  Utah  in  a  thousand  genera 
tions,  unless  they  greatly  degenerated 
from  their  present  standard  of  morals. 


If  the  Gentile  nations  consider 
Patriarchal  Matrimony  "a  mote" 
which  has  got  into  the  Saints'  eyes, 
let  them,  before  they  undertake  to 
pluck  it  out,  extricate  the  great 
beams  from  their  own  eyes,  and  then 
they  will  learn  that  what  they  sup- 
posed  to  be  ua  mote"  is  in  reality  a 
divine  institution,  which  was  prac- 
ticed by  the  most  holy  men  that  ever 
lived  in  ancient  times  under  the  sanc- 
tion and  approbation  of  the  Almighty. 

Tradition  causes  individuals  and 
nations  to  "strain  at  a  gnat  and  sical~ 
low  a  camel.''''  They  cry  out,  as  though 
they  were  frightened  out  of  their 
senses,  because  a  territory  practices 
legal  and  lawful  matrimony  after  the 
pattern  set  before  them  in  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  but  they  can  swallow  down 
comparatively  easy,  without  scarcely 
uttering  a  groan,  the  polluted  wretch- 
ed, most  filthy  sinks  of  iniquity,  that 
prevail  to  an  alarming  extent  in  all 
the  large  towns,  cities,  and  seaports 
among  the  Gentile  nations.  One 
such  den  of  polution,  in  ancient  times, 
would  have  brought  down  the  heaviest 
judgments  of  the  Almighty  upon  the 
whole  nation  of  Israel,  until  they 
irradicated  the  evil,  root  and  branch, 
from  their  midst.  Yes,  even  for  one 
case  of  adultery,  almost  the  whole 
tribe  of  Benjamin  were  destroyed, 
and  that,  too,  by  the  command  of  God. 
(See  19,  20,  and  21,  chapters  of 
Judges.)  But  now  tens  of  thousands 
of  public  prostitutes  may  be  found  in 
one  city  such  as  New  York,  and 
ninety  thousand  in  another  like  Lon- 
don, and  yet  the  United  States  and 
England  call  themselves  christian 
nations,  and  pretend  to  worship  God 
with  all  these  abominations  under 
their  notice.  Are  the  nations  justi- 
fied who  suffer  such  great  wickedr 
ness  in  their  midst?  Verily  no. 

Can  any  one  suppose  that  God  has 
changed  so  that  he  does  not  look  upon 
adulterous  and  unvirtuous  practices 
now  with  the  same  degree  of  abhor- 
ence  as  he  did  anciently?  If  for  one 
sin  of  this  description,  twenty-five 
thousand  Benjaminites,  together  with 
their  wives  and  little  children  were 
destroyed  by  the   command  of  God, 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


43 


what  must  be  the  fierce  wrath  and 
terrible  judgments  laid  up  against 
modern  Christendom  who  have  suf- 
fered these  abominations  to  prevail 
among  them,  not  in  a  few  isolated 
cases  existing  for  a  moment,  but  in 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  cases,  where 
public  prostitutes  swarming  forth  from 
their  deathly  hellish  dens,  like  so 
many  venomous  serpents,  have  cor- 
rupted nations  and  generations  for 
centuries  and  for  ages  ! 

Let  this  nation  put  these  evils  from 
their  midst;  let  them  enact  strict 
laws  to  protect  the  virtue  of  the 
country;  let  the  heaviest  penalties  be 
inflicted  upon  all  public  prostitutes, 
and  upon  all  those  who  encourage 
the  same,  either  by  precept  or  exam- 
ple ;  let  the  priests  and  the  people, 
the  rulers  and  the  ruled,  clothe  them- 
selves  in  sackcloth  and  weep  before 
the  Lord  for  the  sins  of  the  nation, 
which  have  reached  unto  the  heavens 
and  cry  aloud  for  vengeance  ;  let  them 
cleanse  the  land  and  wipe  out  of  ex- 
istence these  soul-destroying  abomi- 
nations :  then  let  them  teach  Utah 
virtue,  and  their  precepts  will  be 
heard  and  their  admonitions  received; 
then  will  the  valiant-hearted  sons  and 
daughters  of  the  Mountain  Territory 
believe  that  there  is  virtue  still  left  in 
the  land  ;  and  then  shall  the  nation 
find  favor  in  the  sight  of  heaven,  and 
rise  up  in  strength,  in  power,  in  glo- 
rious majesty,  and  extend  their  do- 
minions east,  west,  north,  and  south, 
and  shall  rule  in  triumph  and  ever- 
lasting honor  unto  the  ends  of  the 
earth.  But  until  then  let  them  hide 
their  faces  in  shame  and  blush  in 
deep  silence  at  the  floodgates  of  in- 
iquity which  pour  forth  their  torrents 
of  corruption  and  death  in  all  parts  of 
the  land. 

Why  do  the  Saints  marry  for  all 
eternity  as  well  as  for  time?  Be- 
cause both  male  and  female  expect 
to  have  a  resurrection  from  the  dead, 
and  wish  to  enjoy  each  others  soci- 
ety in  the  capacity  of  husbands  and 
wives  in  the  eternal  worlds.  Do  the 
saints  believe  that  all  those  who  have 
been  husbands  and  wives  in  this  life 
will  enjoy  that  relationship  after  the 


resurrection  ?  No  ;  they  do  not  be- 
lieve that  any  will  enjoy  that  privi- 
lege excepting  those  who  have  been 
married  by  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and 
by  his  authority  for  eternity.  When 
a  man  and  woman  enter  into  matri- 
monial contracts  and  covenant  to  be 
each  others  companion  until  death, 
they  have  claim  upon  each  other  for 
this  life  only;  when  death  comes, 
their  marriage  contracts  and  cove- 
nants expire  ;  and  in  the  resurrection, 
however  much  they  may  desire  to 
enjoy  themselves  in  all  the  endearing 
relationships  of  husband  and  wife, 
they  will  find  that  their  contracts  and 
covenants  which  were  made  for  lime 
only,  give  them  no  title  to  each  other 
in  eternity.  Therefore,  they  will  not 
be  permitted  under  any  conditions 
whatever  to  live  together  as  husband 
and  wife.  But  can  they  not  renew 
their  contracts  and  be  married  again 
in  that  life  ?  No ;  for  Jesus  says, 
"In  the  resurrection  they  neither 
marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage,  but 
are  as  the  angels  of  God  in  heaven." 
(Matthew  22  :  30.)  Those  who  have 
not  secured  their  marriage  for  eter- 
nity in  this  life,  can  never  have  it  at- 
tended to  hereafter  ;  therefore,  if  they 
should  through  faithfulness  even  be 
saved,  yet  they  would  be  no  higher 
than  the  angels,  and  would  be  com- 
pelled to  live  separately  and  singly, 
and  consequently  without  posterity, 
and  would  become  servants  to  all 
eternity,  for  those  who  are  counted 
worthy  to  become  kings  and  priests, 
and  who  will  receive  thrones  and 
kingdoms,  and  an  endless  increase  of 
posterity,  and  inherit  a  far  more  ex- 
ceeding and  eternal  weight  of  glory. 
Such  will  need  myriads  of  servants 
as  their  kingdoms  and  dominions  in- 
crease ;  and  the  numbers  requisite 
will  be  found  among  those  who  kept 
not  the  higher  law,  but  still  rendered 
themselves  worthy  of  an  inferior  re- 
ward. 

The  first  marriage  we  have  on 
record,  is  that  of  our  first  parents. 
After  the  Lord  had  formed  Eve,  He 
"  brought  her  unto  the  man.  And 
Adam  said,  This  is  now  bone  of  my 
bones,   and   flesh   of  my  flesh  :  she 


44 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


shall  be  called  woman,  because  she 
was  taken  out  of  man.  Therefore 
shall  a  man  leave  his  father  and  his 
mother  and  shall  cleave  unto  his  wife, 
and  they  shall  be  one  flesh."  (Gen. 
2  :  22-24.)  Here  was  a  marriage  in 
which  the  Lord  in  person  officiated — 
a  marriage  between  two  immortal 
beings.  Both  Adam  and  Eve  were 
so  organized  that  death  had  no  do- 
minion over  their  bodies  ;  they  were 
capable  of  living  forever  and  ever. 
Death  was  not  in  the  organization  ; 
it  came  into  the  world  by  transgres- 
sion ;  it  was  an  enemy — a  usurper — 
an  evil  which  man  brought  upon  him- 
self, or  as  Paul  says,  "  By  one  man 
sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  death 
by  sin."  (Rom.  5  :  12.)  If  sin  had 
not  entered  our  world,  death  never 
would  have  been  known  in  this  crea- 
tion ;  consequently  our  first  parents 
would  have  been  living  this  day  as 
fresh,  and  as  fair,  and  as  full  of  all 
the  vigor  and  strength  of  immortality, 
as  in  the  morn  of  creation  ;  millions 
of  ages  would  have  produced  no  effect 
upon  their  immortal  systems  ;  they 
would  have  been  as  durable  as  the 
throne  of  Jehovah,  and  as  lasting  as 
eternity  itself.  Remember,  then,  that 
when  the  Lord  gave  Eve  to  Adam, 
He  gave  an  immortal  woman  to  an 
immortal  man  :  He  made  them  one 
flesh,  not  for  time,  not  for  any  definite 
period  of  duration,  not  till  death — for 
that  monster  was  not  in  the  creation, 
which  was  then  newly  formed  and 
pronounced  "  very  good" — but  He 
joined  them  in  one,  as  one  flesh,  to 
be  indissolubly  united  while  eternal 
ages  should  roll  on,  or  God  himself 
endure. 

But  man,  through  disobedience, 
opened  the  gates  to  the  enemy  ;  death 
enters  armed  with  horrible  ven- 
geance, and  with  a  ghastly  smile  seats 
himself  upon  the  throne  of  the  new 
world,  and  clad  with  frightful  majesty 
proclaims  himself'' The  King  of  Ter- 
rors-" All  things  feel  his  withering 
touch  ;  all  nations  and  generations 
are  prostrated  in  the  dust ;  ruin  and 
desolation  follow  in  his  train  ;  the 
whole  creation  groan  beneath  the 
grasp  of  his  tyrant  hand,     Under  his 


direful  reign  our  first  parents  were 
banished  from  the  presence  of  their 
Creator — were  disinherited  from  the 
garden  of  Eden — were  subjected  to 
labor  and  toil  to  procure  food  from 
the  ground,  cursed  for  man's  sake. 
The  seeds  of  death  were  combined 
with  the  very  soil  ;  they  organized 
themselves  in  every  vegetable  ;  they 
were  mixed  in  all  species  of  food  de- 
rived from  the  ground  ;  all  the  ani- 
mal creation,  with  man  himself,  par- 
took thereof;  and  death  thus  took  a 
firm  hold  upon  every  living  being  ; 
the  immortal  bodies  of  Adam  and  Eve 
received  the  fatal  curse — they  yield- 
ed— they  sank — they  died — their  bo- 
dies returned  to  dust. 

But  what  was  lost  by  the  fall,  was 
restored  through  Jesus  Christ.  Did 
the  original  sin  bring  a  curse  upon 
the  earth  ?  The  atonement  redeems 
from  that  curse  and  restores  this  cre- 
ation to  its  primeval  beauty,  goodness, 
and  glory.  Did  that  sin  tear  asunder 
body  and  spirit,  destroy  the  immortal 
workmanship  of  the  Creator,  prostrate 
it  low  in  the  dust  ?  The  redemption 
which  is  in  Christ  will  restore  "  bone 
to  bone,"  limb  to  limb,  and  joint  to 
joint ;  while  flesh,  sinews,  and  skin, 
will  be  restored  to  their  original  po- 
sition ;  the  spirit  be  restored  to  its 
body,  and  the  body  be  restored  to  im- 
mortality. Did  death  tear  asunder 
husband  and  wife,  divorce  that  which 
God  had  joined  together  as  "one 
flesh,"  immortal  and  eternal  in  its 
nature  ?  The  atonement  of  Christ 
will  repair  the  breach,  will  restore 
the  immortal  Eve  to  the  immortal 
Adam,  will  join  them  again  as  one 
flesh,  never  more  to  be  separated, 
and  will  again  let  the  lawful  husband 
enjoy  the  society  of  his  lawful  wife. 

This  restoration  of  Eve  to  Adam 
in  the  resurrection  will  require  no 
new  ceremony  of  marriage  ;  for  they 
were  never  legally  divorced  ;  the  fall 
was  not  a  divorce,  for  they  lived  for 
centuries  in  their  mortal  state  as  hus- 
band  and  wife  ;  the  death  of  the  body 
was  not  a  divorce,  but  only  a  separa- 
tion for  a  season  ;  consequently,  they 
were  husband  and  wife  in  the  spirit- 
ual state  between  death  and  the  re- 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


4& 


surrection ;  there  is  nothing  con- 
nected  with  the  resurrection  which  is 
calculated  to  divorce;  on  the  contrary, 
the  resurrection,  instead  of  being  a  di- 
vorcing or  separating  power,  is  a  re- 
storing or  uniting  power  :  therefore, 
Adam  and  Eve  will  not  need  to  be 
married  after  the  resurrection,  for 
there  never  will  be  one  moment,  from 
the  time  of  their  marriage  in  the 
Garden  of  Eden  to  the  endless  ages 
of  eternity,  that  they  will  cease  to  be 
legally  husband  and  wife. 

If  the  Lord  had  waited  until  after 
the  fall  before  he  solemnized  the 
marriage  of  our  first  parents,  and  then 
had  joined  them  as  husband  and  wife 
only  until  death  ;  when  the  time  run 
out  and  death  came,  the  marriage 
contract  would  have  been  no  longer 
binding,  and  they  would  have  ceased 
from  that  moment  to  be  lawfully  hus- 
band and  wife  ;  and  as  there  is  no 
marrying  after  the  resurrection,  they 
would  have  remained  to  all  eternity 
in  a  single  state. 

If  the  Lord  should  fail  to  restore  to 
Adam  his  wife  after  the  resurrec- 
tion, then  the  redemption  through 
Christ  would  not  be  as  broad  as  the 
fall.  That  which  was  joined  as  "one 
flesh"  by  the  Lord  Himself  was  put 
asunder,  but  not  divorced  by  the  en- 
emy death  ;  if  Christ  does  not  restore 
that  which  the  enemy  has  taken  away, 
then  the  redemption  is  incomplete  ; 
then  death  would  have  greater  power 
than  He  who  holds  the  "  keys  of 
death,"  which  would  be  unscriptural 
and  absurd.  Christ  has  power  over 
the  devil,  and  the  devil  has  power 
over  death.  (See  Heb.  2  :  14.)  And 
Christ  will  destroy  the  works  of  the 
devil  from  the  earth,  and  death  and 
hell  will  be  banished  to  the  lake  of 
fire  and  brimstone,  and  our  first  pa- 
rents, being  delivered  from  these  en- 
emies, will  he  as  immortal  as  they 
were  on  their  bridal  day. 

The  union  of  these  two  immortal 
beings  in  the  marriage  covenant,  was 
for  the  purpose  of  lawfully  multiply- 
ing their  species  ;  for  the  first  great 
command  given  to  man  was  to  "be 
fruitful,  and  multiply  and  replenish 
the  earth-"     And  it  pleased  God  that 


man  should  obey  this  important  com- 
mand only  through  the  marriage  or- 
dinance. All  other  associations  of 
the  sexes,  as  we  have  already  proved, 
were  under  the  severest  penalties 
forbidden.  It  must  be  recollected 
that  when  this  great  command  was 
given,  and  when  they  were  joined 
as  one  flesh  for  the  purpose  of  obey- 
ing it,  they  were  immortal  both  body 
and  spirit.  They  did  not  obey  this 
command  while  in  their  immortal 
state ;  they  fell  from  immortality  to 
mortality,  after  which  they  began  to 
multiply  their  fallen  species  upon  the 
earth.  If  they  had  complied  with 
the  command  before  the  fall,  it  would 
have  been  impossible  for  them  to 
have  raised  up  children  of  mortal  flesh 
and  bones,  subject  to  death.  Mortal 
children  could  not  spring  from  im- 
mortal parents. 

Is  it  possible  for  immortal  beings 
to  multiply?  If  it  is  not,  then  why 
did  God  give  such  a  command  to  the 
immortal  male  and  female  ?  It  may 
be  said  that  they  fulfilled  the  design 
embraced  in  the  command  after  they 
through  transgression  became  mortal; 
but  did  God  command  them  to  sin, 
and  fall,  and  become  mortal,  in  order 
to  raise  up  mortal  posterity  that  the 
first  command  might  be  obeyed  and 
made  honorable  1  Would  He  com- 
mand them  to  disobey  one  law  in  or- 
der to  keep  another  ?  If  they  could 
not  have  multiplied  while  immortal, 
it  was  absolutely  necessary  that  they 
should  break  one  law  to  obey  another. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  if  they  could 
have  multiplied  while  immortal,  then 
their  posterity  would  of  necessity 
have  been  immortal  also  ;  otherwise, 
death  would  have  entered  the  world 
without  sin,  which  no  one  for  a  mo- 
ment  could  believe.  Who  then  can- 
not easily  see  that  the  very  existence 
of  mortal  man  on  this  earth  depended 
on  the  fall  ?  Who  so  dull  of  appre- 
hension that  he  cannot  perceive  that 
if  our  first  parents  had  not  fallen,  we, 
as  mortal  beings,  could  have  had  no 
existence  1  Mortal  children  of  flesh 
and  blood  could  not  have  been  born. 
After  our  first  Parents  had  become 
fallen,    and    consequently  mortal,   it 


46 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


was  impossible  for  them  to  obey  the 
command  to  multiply  as  immortal 
beings  and  raise  up  immortal  chil- 
dren. It  is  true,  they  could  offer  a 
substitute  of  a  mortal  posterity,  sub. 
ject  to  death,  instead  of  an  immortal 
one  ;  but  would  the  Lord  accept  such 
a  substitution,  as  sufficient  to  an- 
swer the  ends  of  the  great  command, 
given  to  them  as  immortal  beings  ? 
Would  He  consider  the  command 
honored  and  fulfilled,  by  being  pre- 
sented with  a  fallen,  deathly,  corrupt, 
mortal  race,  instead  of  an  immortal, 
heavenly  race,  blooming  in  all  the 
freshness  of  eternal  life?  If  God 
will  not  be  satisfied  with  such  a  sub- 
stitution, would  it  be  any  thing  more 
than  reasonable  that  He  should  de- 
vise a  plan  by  which  our  first  Parents 
could  be  restored  to  immortality,  and 
to  the  earth,  and  again  be  placed  in 
a  condition  to  multiply  their  species 
as  immortal  beings?  Can  they  ever 
obey  that  law,  so  as  to  answer  the 
end  and  design  for  which  it  was 
given,  unless  they  shall,  as  immortal 
beings,  "  Multiply  and  Replenish  the 
earth"  with  an  immortal  posterity? 
God  will  not  suffer  the  fall  of  man  to 
thwart  the  great  and  eternal  purpose 
he  had  in  view  in  that  command. 
The  redemption  through  Christ  was 
intended  to  restore  both  male  and 
female  to  immortality,  that  what  they 
lost  by  the  fall  might  be  regained. 
If  the  fall  deprived  them  of  the 
power  of  raising  up  an  immortal 
posterity,  the  redemption  will  restore 
that  privilege,  or  else  it  will  be  in 
complete.  Adam  must,  therefore, 
have  restored  to  him  his  beloved 
wife — his  immortal  Eve  ;  and  they 
must  be  placed  upon  the  New  Earth, 
redeemed  from  the  effects  of  their 
transgression,  where  they  will  "  Mul- 
tiply and  replenish  "  the  same  with 
immortal  children,  as  they  were  com- 
manded to  do  in  the  first  place,  but 
failed,  because  of  transgression. 
Thus  will  God  show  to  all  his  crea- 
tions, that  the  enemy  has  not  defeat- 
ed His  designs  and  purposes,  but 
that  they  will  all  be  fulfilled  and  ac- 
complished, and  that  the  Devil  who 
sought  to  overthrow  them,  has,  him- 


self, been  defeated  and  banished  from 
this  creation  into  his  own  place. 

If  our  first  Parents  were  married 
for  eternal  ages,  for  the  purpose  of 
multiplying  an  immortal  offspring, 
we  cannot  for  one  moment  suppose 
that  there  will  ever  a  period  arrive 
throughout  all  future  duration,  when 
they  will  cease  to  obey  this  command. 
Hence  their  own  sons  and  their  own 
daughters,  aside  from  their  grand- 
children, will  be  as  numerous  as  the 
dust  of  the  earth,  or  in  other  words, 
there  will  be  no  end  to  their  increase. 
At  the  average  rate  of  one  per  year, 
in  a  thousand  million  of  years,  they 
would  people  an  earth  as  large  as 
this  with  their  own  sons  and  daugh- 
ters :  and  if  we  let  our  minds  stretch 
still  further  into  the  future  ages  of 
eternity,  we  can  say,  with  confidence, 
that  the  period  will  arrive,  when 
their  own  children,  without  reckon- 
ing their  (childrens')  descendants, 
will  be  sufficiently  numerous  to  peo- 
ple as  many  worlds  as  have  been 
discovered  by  the  aid  of  the  most 
powerful  telescopes ;  and  we  can 
say  of  them,  that  "  Of  the  increase 
of  their  government,"  or  of  their 
kingdoms,  "  there  will  be  no  end." 

But  was  the  command  to  multiply 
limited  to  our  first  Parents  ?  No  ;  it 
extended  to  their  posterity  also.  If 
the  command  required  immortal  Pa- 
rents to  multiply,  it  surely  would  re- 
quire the  same  things  of  the  children  ; 
but  it  may  be  said,  that  through  the 
transgression  of  the  Parents  the  chil- 
dren are  born  mortal,  and  therefore, 
that  they  have  not  the  privilege  of  rais- 
ing up  an  immortal  posterity.  But  it 
must  be  recollected,  that  the  same 
sin  which  prevents  the  children,  also 
prevented  the  first  parents  from  ful- 
filling that  command  ;  and  the  same 
redemption  which  redeems  the  pa- 
rents, also  redeems  the  children,  and 
restores  them  all  to  immortality. 
Therefore,  if  the  children  have  been 
married  for  eternity,  as  well  as  for 
time,  by  the  authority  of  God,  the 
same  as  their  first  Parents  were,  they 
will,  with  them,  raise  up,  after  the 
resurrection,  an  endless  posterity  of 
immortal  beings.      In  this    manner, 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


47 


the  children,  as  well  as  the  parents, 
are  placed  in  a  redeemed  condition, 
wherein  they  can  eternally  obey  the 
command  to  multiply. 

But  those  who  do  not,  in  this  life, 
enter  into  the  eternal  covenant  of 
marriage,  after  the  pattern  set  by  the 
first  immortal  pair,  can  never  obey 
the  first  great  command.  If  any 
shall  say  that  they  obey  that  in  this 
life,  to  them  we  reply,  that  a  fallen, 
corrupt,  mortal  posterity,  will  never 
be  accepted,  as  sufficient  to  answer 
the  ends  of  that  great  law  which 
was  given  to  man  in  his  immortal 
state.  Immortal  beings  only  can  obey 
that  law  acceptably,  according  to  the 
real  design  and  purpose  which  the 
Lord  had  in  view.  They,  therefore, 
who  enter  not  into  the  everlasting 
covenant  of  marriage,  can  never  obey 
that  law  ;  and  because  they  have  not 
placed  themselves  in  a  condition  to 
obey  it,  they  will  find  in  the  resurrec- 
tion, that  they  have  no  lawful  compan- 
ions, and  cannot  enjoy  the  same  ful- 
ness of  glory  as  their  first  Parents,  and 
as  others  who  have  been  joined  by 
the  Lord  eternally  as  one  flesh. 
They,  therefore,  must  be  numbered 
with  the  angels  who  do  not  keep  the 
law  ;  while  those  who  do  keep  it, 
will  sit  upon  thrones  of  judgment 
and  will  judge  those  angels  and  make 
them  their  servants,  and  they  shall 
serve  them  throughout  endless  gene- 
rations  forever  and  ever,  for  angels 
have  no  power  to  enlarge  themselves 
by  an  increase  of  posterity.  But  to 
those  who  keep  the  law  through  the 
eternal  covenant  of  marriage,  shall  ho- 
nor, and  glory,  and  dominion,  and  eter- 
nal lives,  be  added  to  endless  ages  in 
worlds  without  end.  By  such  shall 
worlds  be  peopled  with  their  own 
sons  and  daughters  ;  and  their  eter- 
nal kingdoms  shall  be  multiplied  as 
the  stars  of  Heaven  which  no  man 
can  number.  By  such  shall  God  be 
glorified,  in  the  continuation  of  His 
works,  in  the  extension  of  the  Uni- 
verse, in  the  redemption  and  glorifi- 
cation of  worlds,  and  in  the  increase 
of  intelligent,  immortal,  Godlike 
beings  who  inherit  all  the  fulness  of 
His  own  great  perfections. 


No  uninspired  man  has  authority 
from  God  to  join  together  the  male 
and  female  in  the  marriage  covenant. 
Marriage  is  an  ordinance  of  God,  and 
we  read  that  "  What  God  hath  joined 
together  let  not  man  put  asunder." 
(Matthew  19:  6.)  Where  man 
usurps  authority  to  officiate  in  the 
ordinance  of  God,  and  joins  together 
the  sexes  in  marriage,  such  unions 
are  illegal  in  the  sight  of  God,  though 
they  may  be  legal  according  to  the 
laws  and  governments  of  men.  The 
power  to  officiate  in  the  ordinances 
of  God  has  not  been  upon  the  earth 
since  the  great  apostacy,  until  the 
present  century.  Something  like 
seventeen  centuries  have  passed 
away  since  the  authority  was  lost  on 
the  eastern  hemisphere  to  administer 
in  any  of  the  ordinances  of  God. 
During  that  long  period  marriages 
have  been  celebrated  according  to  the 
customs  of  human  governments,  by 
uninspired  men,  holding  no  authority 
from  God;  consequently,  all  their 
marriages,  like  their  baptisms,  are 
illegal  before  the  Lord.  Point  out  to 
us  a  husband  and  wife  that  God  has 
joined  together  from  the  second  cen- 
tury of  the  christian  era  until  the 
nineteenth,  if  any  can.  Such  a  phe- 
nomenon cannot  be  found  among 
Christians  or  Jews,  Mahometans  or 
Pagans.  All  are  without  prophets 
or  inspired  men — all  are  without  di- 
vine authority :  none  have  had  power 
to  seal  on  earth  the  marriage  'cov- 
enant that  it  might  be  sealed  in  hea- 
ven  ;  none  during  that  long  period 
have  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord 
commanding  them  to  officiate  in  those 
sacred  ordinances. 

Marriages,  then,  among  all  nations, 
though  legal  according  to  the  laws  of 
men,  have  been  illegal  according  to 
the  laws,  authority,  and  institutions 
of  Heaven.  All  the  children  born 
during  that  long  period,  though  legit- 
imate according  to  the  customs  and 
laws  of  nations,  are  illegitimate  ac- 
cording to  the  order  and  authority  of 
Heaven.  Those  things  which  are 
performed  by  the  authority  of  men, 
God  will  overthrow  and  destroy,  and 
they  will  be  void  and  of  no  effect  in 


48 


CATALOGUE  OF  WORKS,  CONTENTS,  &C. 


the  day  of  the  resurrection.  A!l 
things  ordained  of  God  and  performed 
and  sealed  by  His  authority,  will  re- 
main after  the  resurrection.  That 
which  is  of  man,  will  be  of  no  force 
or  authority  after  death  ;  that  which 
is  of  God,  will  endure  forever.  Re- 
publics   and  kingdoms,  thrones   and 


empires,  principalities  and  powers, 
and  all  things  else  of  human  origin, 
shall  be  cast  down  and  destroyed  and 
vanish  away  like  "  the  dream  of  a 
night  vision  ;"  but  all  things  sealed 
on  earth  and  in  Heaven,  shall  abide 
forever  and  have  no  end. 

(To  be  continued.) 


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CONTENTS. 

Figure  and  Magnitude  of  Spirits 33 

The  Pre-existence  of  Man. 37 

Celestial  Marriage 41 

Catalogue  of  Works 48 


WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.  C. 

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All  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  He 
Mftcth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains. — Isaiah  .win,  3. 


Vol.  I. 


APItIL,   1853. 


No.  4. 


THE  PRE-EXISTENCE  OF  MAN. 

(  Continued.) 


36.  There  are  two  different  kinds 
of  knowledge  :  one  kind  is  obtained 
from  reason  and  reflection,  of  which 
self-evident  truths  are  the  foundation  ; 
the  oilier  kind  is  gained  by  sensation 
or  experience.  The  ideas  relating 
to  the  first  kind  are  obtained  by  com- 
paring truth  with  truth  ;  hence  they 
aie  acquired  by  spirits  in  this  man- 
ner, and  can  be  communicated  to 
them  independant  of  experience. 
The  ideas  of  the  latter  kind  cannot 
be  obtained  by  reasoning  or  reflec- 
tion ;  lhe>  can  only  be  learned  by  ex- 
perience. Spirits,  therefore,  can  ad- 
vance  to  the  highest  degree  ot  knowl- 
edge in  some  things,  while  in  others 
they  must  remain  in  ignorance  until 
they  are  placed  in  circumstances  to 
learn  them  by  experience.  Now 
there  are  many  experimental  truths 
which  are  ju*t  as  necessary  to  be 
learned  as  truths  of  a  different  nature, 
and  without  the  knowledge  of  which 
an  intelligent  being  could  never  be 
perfected  in  happiness  and  glory; 
hence  it  becomes  necessary  that  these 
spirits  should  enter  bodies  of  flesh  and 
bones,  that  they  by  experience  may 
learn  tilings  which  could  not  be 
learned  in  the  spiritual  state.  None 
of  these  spirits  are  permitted  to  have 
tabernacles  of  flesh  if  they  have  vio 
!ated  the  laws  of »heir  first  estate  and 


altogether  turned  therefrom ;  for  if 
they  will  not  abide  in  the  laws  of  the 
spiritual  state  and  hold  sacred  the 
knowledge  the  rein  gained,  their  Father 
will  not  entrust  them  with  the  know], 
edge  to  be  gained  in  the  second  es- 
tate. If  they  keep  not  the  first  es- 
tate, they  will  not  be  permitted  to 
enter  upon  (he  second;  and  this  is 
their  torment  because  they  are  held 
back  and  are  prohibited  from  advan- 
cing in  knowledge  and  glory  with  the 
rest  of  the  family  who  have  been 
faithful. 

37.  That  there  has  been  a  rebel. 
lion  among  these  spirits,  is  evident 
from  the  Scriptures.  The  Apostle 
John  says,  "And  there  appeared 
another  wonder  in  Heaven  ;  and  be- 
hold a  gieat  red  dragon,  having  seven 
heads  and  ten  horns,  and  seven 
crowns  upon  his  heads.  And  his 
tail  drew  the  third  part  of  the  stars 
of  Heaven,  and  did  cast  them  to  the 
earth."  "And  there  was  war  in 
Heaven:  Michael  and  his  angels 
fought  against  the  dragon  ;  and  the 
dragon  fought  and  his  angels,  and 
prevailed  not;  neither  was  their 
place  found  any  more  in  Heaven. 
And  the  great  dragon  was  ca-t  out, 
that  old  Serpent,  called  the  Devil, 
and  Satan,  which  deceiveth  the  whole 
world  :  he  was  cast  out  into  the  earth, 


50 


THE   PRE-EXfSTENCE    OF   MAN. 


and  his  angels  were  cast  out  with 
him."  (Rev.  12;  3,  4,  7,  8,  9.) 
The  name  of  the  being  who  headed 
this  rebellion,  was  called,  "  Dragon," 
"Serpent,"  «-Devil,"  or  ''Satan;" 
the  place  where  the  war  commenced, 
was  Heaven :  the  persons,  engaged 
with  the  Devil  were  "his  angel?," 
called  "the  stars  of  Heaven":  the  num- 
ber of  Satan's  army  was  "the  third 
part  of  the  stars  of  Heaven"  or  of 
"the  angels,"  the  other  two  thirds 
were  headed  by  Michael  :  the  Devil's 
army  were  banished  (rom  Heaven  to 
the  earth.  Some,  perhaps,  may 
imagine  that  these  angels  were 
beings  who  had  been  redeemed  from 
some  former  world,  and  afterwards 
rebelled  ;  but  if  this  were  the  case, 
they  would  not  be  evil  spirits,  but 
would  be  evil  beings,  having  flesh 
and  bones,  and  consequently  would 
be  unable  to  enter  into  the  taberna- 
cles of  human  beings  ;  but  as  many 
of  them  frequently  have  entered  into 
one  person,  it  shows  most  clearly 
that  they  are  spirits.  Others,  per- 
haps, may  imagine  that  these  fallen 
angels  are  the  spirits  of  evil  men 
who  have  died  on  some  former  world, 
and  whose  bodies  have  never  been 
raised  ;  but  this  conjecture  would  not 
harmonize  with  the  plan,  pursued  in 
regard  to  the  wicked  of  this  creation 
who  are  all  to  be  raised  from  the 
dead  and  their  spirits  and  bodies  to 
be  reunited  ;  neither  would  it  har- 
monize with  the  testimony  of  the 
Apostle  Jude  who  says,  "  The  angels 
which  kept  not  their  first  estate,  but 
left  their  own  habitation,  he  hath  re- 
served in  everlasting  chains  under 
darkness  unto  the  judgment  of  the 
great  day."  (Jude,  verse  6.)  Thi9 
passage  proves  that  fallen  angels  are 
those  who  were  on  trial  in  their  first 
estate.  Angels  do  not  receive  fleshly 
bodies  until  they  enter  their  second 
estate,  consequently  those  in  the  first 
estate  must  be  spirits.  That  these 
angels  were  spirits,  pertaining  to  this 
creation,  and  not  to  a  former  one,  is 
shown  from  the  fact,  that  they  are 
reserved  "  in  chains  under  darkness 
unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day." 
If  they  had  lived  in  a  first  estate, 


preceeding  the  one  where  our  spirits- 
were  on  trial,  then  they  would  have 
been  judged  on  a  previous  world  . 
but  their  judgment  day  has  not  yet 
come,  but  will  come  al  the  end  of  the 
earth,  or  at  the  time  when  the  wicked 
of  this  world  are  judged.  If,  then, 
they  are  to  receive  a  judgment  in 
connection  with  the  inhabitants  of 
this  earth,  they  must  have  formed  a 
portion  of  the  same  family  in  the 
first  estate,  and  did  not  have  an  origin 
anterior  to  the  family,  designed  for 
this  earth. 

38.  Having  learned  that  there  has 
been  war  in  Heaven,  let  us  next  in- 
quire, at  what  period  this  war  ended  ? 
It  is  very  plain  that  the  war  must 
have  been  raging  in  Heaven  after 
the  earth  was  formed  ;  for  when  the 
Devil  and  his  angels  were  cast  out 
of  Heaven,  they  were  banished  to 
our  earth,  consequently  the  earth 
was  formed  and  in  existence  at  the 
close  of  the  war  in  Heaven.  The 
Devil  was  on  the  earth  at  the  time 
Adam  and  Eve  were  in  the  garden  : 
it  was  he  that  lied  to  Eve  and  de- 
ceived her  ;  hence,  he  is  called  "  a  liar 
from  the  beginning  "  or  "  the  father 
of  lies."  Now  whether  he  and  his 
angels  had,  at  that  early  period,  been 
cast  out  of  Heaven  upon  the  earth, 
is  not,  in  the  English  version  of  the 
Bible,  clearly  revealed.  If  they  had 
not  at  the  period  of  the  fall  of  Adam, 
already  received  their  banishment 
from  heaven,  the  Devil  must,  at  least, 
have  come,  by  permission,  to  this 
earth,  and  entered  into  the  garden  ; 
and  if  his  expulsion  had  not,  at  that 
time,  taken  place,  he  would,  after 
having  accomplished  his  evil  designs 
in  bringing  about  the  fall  of  man, 
have  returned  again  to  his  armies  in 
Heaven  to  encourage  them  in  their 
unholy  and  malicious  warfare.  But 
from  the  testimony,  in  the  revelations 
which  God  gave  through  Joseph 
Smith,  the  prophet,  we  are  informed 
that  Adam  was  Michael.  It  is  rea- 
sonable, therefore,  to  suppose,  that 
Michael  who  headed  the  armies  in 
Heaven  against  the  Devil's  forces 
would  continue  the  command  until  the 
close  of  the  war  or  until  the  Devil's  army 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


51 


were  banished  to  the  earth*  To  have 
left  his  post,  and  resigned  his  com- 
mand before  the  enemy  was  over- 
come, would  have  been  only  a  partial 
victory,  and  the  trial  in  the  first  estate 
would  have  been  incomplete.  Noth- 
ing short  of  a  full  discomfiture  of  the 
enemy's  forces  and  their  banishment 
from  Heaven,  would  have  rendered 
the  victory  complete  ;  nothing  short 
of  this,  would  have  entitled  them  to 
the  praise  of  having  kept  their  first 
estate.  It  is  plain,  therefore,  that 
the  war  in  Heaven  had  ended,  before 
Michael  left  Heaven,  and  entered  a 
body  of  flesh  and  bones  under  the 
name  of  Adam. 

39.  When  did  this  war  in  Heaven 
commence  ?  All  the  light  we  have 
upon  this  question  is  contained  in 
modern  revelations,  and  in  those  an- 
cient revelations  which  have  been  re- 
vealed anew  through  Joseph  the  Seer. 
We  quote  the  following  from  the  book 
of  Abraham:  "Now  the  Lord  had 
shown  unto  me,  Abraham,  the  intel- 
ligences that  were  organized  bef<  re 
the  world  was;  and  among  all  these, 
there  were  many  of  the  noble  and 
great  ones;  and  God  saw  these  souls 
that  they  were  good,  and  he  stood  in 
the  midst  of  them,  and  he  said,  these 
I  will  make  my  rulers  ;  for  he  stood 
among  those  that  were  spirits,  and  he 
saw  that  they  were  good;  and  he  said 
unto  me,  Abraham,  thou  art  one  of 
them,  thou  wast  chosen  before  thou 
wast  born.  And  there  stood  one 
among  them  that  was  like  unto  God, 
and  he  said  unto  those  who  were  with 
him,  we  will  go  down,  for  there  is 
space  there,  and  we  will  take  of  these 
materials,  and  we  will  make  an  earth 
whereon  these  may  dwell;  and  we 
will  prove  them  herewith,  to  see  it 
they  Will  do  all  things  whatsoever  the 
Lord  their  God  shall  command  them; 
and  they  who  keep  their  first  estate, 
shall  be  added  upon  ;  and  they  who 
keep  not  their  first  estate,  shall  not 
have  glory  in  the  same  kingdom  with 
those  who  keep  their  first  estate  ;  and 
they  who  keep  their  second  estate, 
shall  have  glory  added  upon  their 
heads  forever  and  ever.  And  the 
Lord  said,  who  shall  I  send?     And 


one  answered  like  unto  the  Son  of 
Man,  here  am  I,  send  me.  And 
another  answered  and  said,  here  am 
I,  send  me.  And  the  Lord  said,  I 
will  send  the  first.  And  the  second 
was  angry,  and  kept  not  his  first  es- 
tate, and,  at  that  day,  many  followed 
after  him.  And  then  the  Lord  said, 
let  us  go  down  ;  and  they  went  down 
at  the  beginning,  and  they  organized 
and  formed  (that  is,  the  Gods)  the 
Heavens  and  the  earth.  And  the 
earth,  after  it  was  formed,  was  empty 
and  desolate,  because  they  had  not 
formed  anything  but  the  earth  ;  and 
daikness  reigned  upon  the  face  of  the 
deep,  and  the  spirit  of  the  Gods  was 
brooding  upon  the  faces  of  the  water." 
In  this  divine  history,  we  are  informed 
that  the  rebellion  commenced  at  the 
time  that  the  heavenly  host  were 
counseling  together,  concerning  the 
formation  of  this  earth  and  the  peo- 
pling of  the  same.  The  rebellion, 
therefore,  must  have  been  raging  from 
the  time  of  the  holding  of  this  grand 
council,  until  the  foundations  of  the 
earth  were  laid,  and  probably  too 
for  some  time  after ;  but  it  must  have 
been  some  time  during  the  period 
between  the  beginning  of  this  crea- 
tion and  the  completion  of  the  same, 
preparatory  to  the  reception  of  Mi- 
chael or  Adam,  that  Satan  and  his 
army  were  overcome  and  banished  to 
the  earth.  How  long  the  period  was, 
intervening  between  the  time  of  hold- 
ing the  council  and  the  beginning  of 
this  creation,  is  not  revealed  ;  it  may 
have  been  only  a  very  short  period, 
or  it  may  have  been  millions  of  years. 
And  again,  how  long  it  was  from  the 
commencement  of  the  creation,  until 
Satan  was  cast  out,  is  not  revealed ; 
because  we  do  not  know  the  length 
of  time  included  in  each  day's  work, 
pertaining  to  the  creation  ;  neither  do 
we  know  on  which  of  ;hese  days  or 
periods  he  was  cast  out. 

40.  The  cause  of  Satan's  rebel- 
lion is  more  fully  described  in  the  in- 
spired translation  of  the  book  of 
Genesis,  as  revealed  by  Joseph  the 
Seer.  We  give  the  following  quota- 
tion :  "And  I,  the  Lord  God,  spake 
unto  Moses,  saying,  that  Satan,  whom 


52 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE   OF   MAN. 


thou  hast  commanded  in  the  name  of 
mine  Only  Begotten,*  is  the  same 
which  was  from  the  beginning;  and 
he  came  before  me  saying,  behold  me. 
send  me,  1  will  be  thy  son,  and  I  will 
redeem  all  mankind,  that  one  soul 
shall  not  be  lost,  and  surely  I  will  do 
it:  wherefore  give  me  thine  honor. 
But  behold,  my  beloved  Son,  which 
was  my  beloved  and  chosen  from  the 
beginning,  said  unto  me,  Father,  thy 
will  be  done,  and  the  glory  be  thine 
forever.  Wherefore,  because  that 
Satan  rebelled  against  me,  and  sought 
to  destroy  the  agency  of  man.  which 
I,  the  Lord  God,  had  given  him,  and 
also,  that  I  should  give  unto  him  mine 
own  power,  by  the  power  of  mine 
Only  Begotten  I  caused  that  he  should 
be  cast  down;  and  he  became  Satan, 
yea,  even  the  devil,  the  father  of  all 
lies,  to  deceive  and  to  blind  men,  and 
to  lead  them  captive  at  his  will,  even 
as  many  as  would  not  hearken  unto 
my  voice.  And  now  the  serpent  was 
more  subtle  than  any  beast  of  the 
field  which  I,  the  Lord  God,  had 
made.  And  Satan  put  it  into  the 
heart  of  the  serpent,  (for  he  had 
drawn  away  many  after  him,)  and  he 
sought  also  to  beguile  hve,  for  he 
knew  not  the  mind  of  God  :  where- 
fore,  he  sought  to  destroy  the  world, 
yea,  and  he  said  unto  the  woman, 
yea,  hath  God  said  ye  shall  not  eat  of 
every  tree  of  the  garden,  (and  he 
spake  by  the  mouth  of  the  serpent,) 
but  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  which  thou 
beholdest  in  the  midst  of  the  garden, 
God  hath  said,  ye  shall  not  eat  of  it, 
neither  shall  ye  taste  it,  lest  ye  die. 
For  God  doth  know  that  in  the  da\ 
ye  eat  thereof,  then  your  eyes  shall 
be  opened,  and  ye  shall  be  as  Gods, 
knowing  wood  and  evil."  From  the 
quotation  which  we  have  given  from 
the  Book  of  Abraham,  it  is  shown 
that  the  council,  where  this  rebellion 
first  staited,  was  held  before  the  earth 
was  made.  And  in  this  last  quota- 
tion  from  Genesis,  we  learn  some  of 

•  For  the  contest  which  Moses  had  with 
the  devil,  see  a  revelation  which  was  given 
to  Moses,  previous  to  his  writing  the  book  of 
Genesis,  published  in  "The  Pearl  of  Great 
Price." 


the  causes  .which  excited  the  revotL 
It  seems  that  Satan  had  proposed  a 
plan  \o  "redeem  all  mankind,  that  one 
soul  should  not  be  lost;"  and  believ- 
ing that  his  plan  was  superior  to  any 
other  suggested  in  the  council,  he  was 
determined  to  carry  it  into  effect  at 
all  hazards ;  hence,  he  said  to  the 
Lord,  "surely  I  will  do  it;  wherefore 
give  me  thine  honor." 

41.  If  Satan  had  been  permitted 
to  carry  out  his  plan,  it  would  either 
have  destroyed  the  agency  of  man,  so 
that  he  could  not  commit  sin  ;  or  it 
would  have  redeemed  him  in  his  sins 
and  wickedness  without  any  repent- 
ance  or  reformation  of  life.  If  the 
agency  of  man  were  destroyed,  he 
would  only  act  as  he  is  acted  upon, 
and  consequently  he  would  merely  be 
a  machine  ;  and  bis  actions  would 
have  neither  merit  or  demerit,  so  tar 
as  he  was  concerned,  and  could 
neither  be  punished  nor  rewarded, 
and  would  produce  neither  misery 
nor  joy.  Destroy  the  agency  of  man, 
and  you  oestroy  the  mainspring  of 
his  happiness.  Again,  take  away  the 
agency  of  man,  and  you  deprive  him 
of  hi»  intelligence  ;  for  intelligence  is 
the  original  force  or  cause  of  actions  ; 
it  is  a  self-moving  force  ;  and  all  ac- 
tions, resulting  from  such  a  force, 
must  necessarily  be  free.  If,  there- 
fore, the  agency  of  man  or  his  free- 
dom of  action  be  destroyed,  you  des- 
troy his  sell-moving  force  ;  and  if  you 
deprive  him  of  such  force,  you  deprive 
him  of  intelligence  ;  therefore,  agency 
is  essential  to  the  very  existence  of 
intelligence.  This  truth  is  clearly 
revealed  in  a  revelation  given  to 
Joskph  the  Seer,  which  reads  as  fol- 
lows :  ''All  truth  is  independent  in 
that  sphere  in  which  God  has  placed 
it,  to  act  for  itself,  as  all  intelligence 
also,  otherwise  there  is  no  existence. 
I'ehold,  here  is  the  agency  of  man." 
(Doc.  and  Cov.,  sec.  83,  par.  5.) 
The  plan  proposed  by  the  devil,  while 
ne  was  yet  in  his  first  estate  or  in 
Heaven,  was  to  destroy  the  agency  of 
man,  thereby  depriving  him  of  the 
intelligence  which  God  had  given  to 
him,  and  by  this  process  man  would 
be  unable  to  do,  of  his  own  accord, 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


53 


either  good  or  evil ;  and  Satan  thought 
that  he  could  thus  "redeem  all  man 
kind,  that  not  one  soul  should  lie  lost." 
He  did  not  perceive  that  man,  re- 
deemed after  his  plan,  would  he  a 
perfect  idiot,  without  the  least  glim 
mering  of  intelligence. 

Some,  perhaps,  may  think  we  have 
misrepresented  the  intentions  of 
the  devil;  for  they  can  scarcely  be- 
lieve,  him  to  be  so  profoundly  ignorant 
as  to  propose  a  plan  which  would,  in 
its  very  nature,  destroy  the  intelli- 
gence or  knowledge  of  the  human 
race.  Such,  perhaps,  may  argue  that 
it  is  more  reasonable  to  suppose  tha: 
the  devil  intended  to  leave  them  to 
their  agency,  so  far  as  doing  good  or 
evil  is  concerned  ;  and  that  thus  their 
intelligence  would  be  retained  ;  but 
that  he  designed  to  redeem  them 
from  the  effects  of  their  sins  with  nit 
any  exercise  of  their  agency  in  the 
act  of  repentance  or  reformation. 
Such  a  plan,  we  admit,  would  thwart 
the  ends  of  justice,  and  would  admit 
unholy  and  sinful  beings  into  the 
kingdom  of  God;  .such  beings  would 
be  redeemed  in  all  their  sins  and 
would  still  be  determined  to  pursue  a 
sinful  course.  And  such  characters 
would  turn  a  Heaven  into  a  hell,  ami 
m:ike  themselves  miserable,  and  also 
all  others  with  wh  >m  they  were  as 
sociated.  But  such  a  plan,  though  i> 
destroys  justice,  does  not  destroy  the 
agency  of  man.  It  is  true,  that  it 
redeems  him  without  the  exercise  ot 
his  agency,  dut  does  not  deprive  him 
of  it.  But  the  revelation  says,  that 
Satan  desired  to  bring  about  the  re- 
demption  of  all  mankind  by  the  de 
struction  of  his  agency;  it  reads  thus  : 
"Satan  rebelled  against  me,  and 
sought  to  destroy  the  agency  of  man 
which  I,  the  Lord  God,  bad  given 
him,  and  also,  that  I  should  give  unto 
him  mine  own  power."  However 
wise  Satan  may  have  been,  in  some 
respects,  this  plan  certainly  was  a 
very  foolish  one.  Satan's  sin  does 
not  appear  to  have  consisted  wholly 
in  the  foolishness  of  the  plan  which 
he  proposed  before  the  grand  council 
of  r|pav°n,  but  in  his  stubbornness 
ov  unwillingness  to  yield  to  the  su- 


perior light  of  the  council ;  having 
devised  the  plan,  he  was  determined 
to  carry  it  into  effect :  therefore  he 
sought  to  overthrow  the  kingdom  and 
to  usurp  the  power  thereof  in  his  own 
hands;  hence,  he  demanded  of  the 
Lord,  raying,  "Give  me  thine  honor" 
or  as  the  Lord  expresses  himself  in 
the  above  quotation,  "Satan  rebelled 
against  me,  and  sought  that  I  should 
give  unto  him  mine  own  power." 

42.  However  foolish  Satan's  plan 
may  appear  to  us,  it  must  have  ap- 
peared plausible  to  many  of  his  breth- 
ren :  they  looked  upon  a  theory  which 
they  supposed  would  redeem  them  all 
to  be  superior  to  all  others.  They 
either  had  not  sufficient  intelligence 
to  judge  of  the  consequences  of  a 
scheme,  destroying  the  agency  of 
man  ;  or  else  they  preferred  to  run 
the  risk  of  the  results,  rather  than 
come  under  a  plan,  founded  upon  the 
principles  of  justice  and  mercy,  which 
would  punish  and  reward  them  ac- 
cording to  their  works.  It  may  be, 
that  they  were  capable  of  discerning 
and  judging  righteously,  every  scheme 
that  was  proposed,  but.  were  careless 
and  indifferent   upon  these  subjects, 

deciding  with  Satan,  before  they  had 
mule  sufficient  investigation,  and 
having  taken  sides,  they  were  de- 
termined to  maintain  their  position. 

43.  It  is  not  likely  that  the  final 
decision  of  the  contending  armies 
took  place  immediately.  Many,  no 
doubt,  were  unsettled  in  their  views, 
unstable  in  their  minds,  and  undecid- 
ed as  to  which  force  to  join  :  there 
may  have  been,  for  aught  we  know, 
many  deserters  from  both  armies : 
and  there  may  have  been  a  long  pe- 
riod before  the  division  line  was  so 
strictly  diawn  as  to  become  unalter- 
able. Laws,  without  doubt,  were 
enacted,  and  penalties  affixed,  ac- 
cording to  the  nature  of  the  offences 
or  crimes  :  those  who  altogether 
turned  from  the  Lord,  and  were  de- 
termined to  maintain  the  cause  of 
Satan,  and  who  proceeded  to  the 
utmost  extremities  of  wickedness, 
placed  themselves  without  the  reach 
of  redemption  :  therefore,  such  were 
prohibited  from  entering  into  a  second 


54 


THE   PRE-EXISTENCE   OF   MAN. 


probationary  state,  and  had  no  privi- 
lege of  receiving  bodies  of  flesh  and 
bones.  A  second  estate,  to  them 
would  have  been  of  no  advantage, 
because  they  had  sinned  to  that  ex- 
tent that  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  had 
entirely  left  them,  and  light  and  truth 
no  longer  dwelt  in  them,  therefore, 
they  could  not  feel  a  disposition  to 
repent;  and  if  they  had  been  permit- 
ted to  enter  another  slate  of  trial, 
they  would  have  continued  their  un- 
holy warfare.  And,  also,  if  they 
had  been  permitted  to  receive  fleshly 
bodies,  they  would  have  propogated 
their  species,  and  instilled  into  the 
minds  of  their  children  the  same 
devilish  principles  which  reigned  in 
their  own  bosoms.  Therefore,  the 
Lord  thrust  them  out  of  Heaven  and 
"reserved  them  in  chains  of  everlast- 
ing darkness  until  the  judgment  of 
the  great  day"  which  will  come  at 
the  end  of  the  earth.  The  number 
cast  out  were  about  one-third  part,  as 
revealed,  not  only  to  John  on  the  isle 
of  Patrnos,  but  to  Joseph  the  Seer, 
as  follows  : — "And  it  came  to  pass, 
that  Adam  being  tempted  of  the  De- 
vil ;  for,  behold,  the  Devil  was  before 
Adam,  for  he  rebelled  against  me, 
saying,  Give  me  thine  honor  which 
is  my  power;  and  also  a  third  part 
of  the  hosts  of  Heaven  turned  he 
away  jrom  me,  because  of  their 
agency  ;  and  they  were  thrust  down, 
and  thus  came  the  Devil  and  his  an- 
gels. And,  behold,  there  is  a  place 
prepared  for  them  from  the  begin- 
ning, which  place  is  hell."  (Doc. 
and  Cov.,  sec.  10,  par.  10  ) 

44.  Among  the  two-thirds  who  re- 
mained, it  is  highly  probable,  that, 
there  were  many  who  were  not  val- 
ient in  the  war,  but  whose  sins  were 
of  such  a  nature  that  they  could  be 
forgiven  through  faith  in  the  future 
sufferings  of  the  Only  Begotten  of 
the  Father,  and  through  their  sincere 
repentance  and  reformation.  We  see 
no  impropriety  in  Jesus  offering  Him- 
sell  as  an  acceptable  offering  and  sa- 
crifice before  the  Father  to  atone  for 
the  sins  of  His  brethren,  committed, 
not  only  in  the  second,  but  also  in 
the  first  estate.     Certain  it  was,  that 


the  work  which  Jesus  was  to  accom- 
plish, was  known  in  the  Grand  Coun- 
cil where  the  rebellion  broke  out ;  it 
was  known  that  man  would  sin  in 
his  second  estate  ;  for  it  was  upon 
the  subject  of  his  redemption  that  the 
assembly  became  divided,  and  which 
resulted  in  war.  John,  the  revela- 
tor,  speaking  of  a  certain  power, 
says,  "And  all  that  dwell  upon  the 
earth  shall  worship  him,  whose 
names  are  not  written  in  the  book 
of  life  of  the  Lamb  slain  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world."  (Rev.  13: 
8.)  Now  we  may  ask,  Why  was 
the  Lamb,  considered  as  "slain  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world  ? "  If 
there  were  no  persons  who  had 
sinned  in  their  first  estate,  that  could 
be  benefitted  by  the  sufferings  of 
their  elder  brother,  then  we  can  see 
no  reason  for  considering  Him  at 
that  early  period,  as  already  slain  : 
the  very  fact,  that  the  atonement 
which  was  to  be  made  in  a  future 
world,  was  considered  as  already 
having  been  made,  seems  to  show 
that  there  were  those  who  had  sin- 
ned, and  who  stood  in  need  of  the 
the  atonement.  The  nature  of  the 
sufferings  of  Christ  was  such  that  it 
could  redeem  the  spirits  of  men  as 
well  as  their  bodies.  The  word  of 
the  Lord,  through  Joseph,  the  pro- 
phet, to  Martin  Harris,  reads  thus: — 
"  I  command  you  to  repent — repent, 
lest  I  smite  you  by  the  rod  of  my 
mouth,  and  by  my  wrath,  and  by  my 
anger,  and  your  sufferings  be  sore — - 
how  sore  you  know  not!  how  exqui- 
site you  know  not !  yea,  how  hard 
to  bear  you  know  not  !  For  behold, 
I,  God,  have  suffered  these  things  for 
all,  that  they  might  not  suffer  if  they 
would  repent ;  but  if  they  would  not 
repent,  they  must  suffer  even  as  I, 
which  suffering  caused  myself,  even 
God,  the  greatest  of  all  to  tremble 
because  of  pain,  and  to  bleed  at  every 
pore,  and  to  suffer  both  body  and 
spirit;  and  would  that  I  might  not 
drink  the  bitter  cup  and  shrink — 
nevertheless,  glory  be  to  the  Father, 
and  I  partook  and  finished  my  prepa- 
rations unto  the  children  of  men." 
(Doc.  and  Cov.  sec.  44  :  2.)     Jesus 


THE   TRE-EXISTENCE   OF   MAN. 


55 


suffered,  not  only  in  body,  but  also 
in  spirit.  By  the  sufferings  of  His 
body  He  atoned  for  the  sins  of  men 
committed  in  and  by  the  body  :  by 
the  sufferings  of  His  spirit,  He  atoned 
for  the  sins  committed  by  the  spirit; 
hence,  the  atonement  redeems  both 
body  and  spirit.  It  is  reasonable, 
therefore,  to  suppose  that  if  spirits  in 
the  first  estate  sinned,  they  might  be 
forgiven  through  their  faith  and  re- 
pentance, by  virtue  of  the  future  suf- 
ferings of  Christ. 

45.  That  the  spirits  of  men  did  re- 
ceive  promises  and  gifts  before  the 
world  began,  is  clearly  manifest  in 
many  parts  of  Scripture.  The  Apos- 
tle Paul  writes  as  follows  : — In  hope 
of  eternal  life,  which  God,  that  can- 
not lie,  promised  before  the  world  be- 
gan." (Titus  1  :  2.)  God  "pro- 
mised"  "eternal  life."  When  was 
this  promise  made?  It  was  made 
"  before  the  world  began"  To  whom 
was  it  made  ?  It  was  made  to  the 
spirits  of  men  who  existed  before  the 
world  began.  We  were  comforted 
with  the  promises  «f  God  when  we 
dwelt  in  His  presence.  We  could 
then  look  upon  the  face  of  the  First 
Born  and  consider  Him  as  already 
slain,  or  as  Peter  says,  that  He 
"  verily  was  foreordained  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world."  (1  Pet.  1  : 
20.)  VV'hen  we  were  in  our  spiritual 
state,  all  the  grace  or  mercy  we  re- 
ceived, was  because  of  Christ.  Paul. 
in  speaking  of  God,  says,  "  Who  hath 
saved  us,  and  called  us  with  an  holy 
calling,  not  according  to  our  works, 
but  according  to  His  own  purpose 
and  grace,  which  was  given  us  in 
Christ  Jesus  before  the  world  be- 
gan." (2  Tim.  1  :  9.)  According 
to  this  passage,  and  the  preceding 
ones,  Paul,  Timothy,  Titus,  and  others 
existed  before  the  world  began,  and 
in  that  anterior  existence,  God  made 
promises  unto  them  of  eternal  life, 
and  also  gave  them  grace  "in  Christ 
Jesus."  The  apostle  Paul  also  says  : 
"Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath 
blessed  us  with  all  spiritual  blessings 
in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  :  ac- 
cording  as    He   hath  chosen   us   in 


Him  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world."  (Eph.  1 :  3,  4.)  Now  if 
the  Apostles  and  others  were  called 
"  with  an  holy  calling,''  and  "  chosen 
in  Christ  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world,"  and  actually  received  grace 
in  Christ,  and  had  the  promise  of 
"  Eternal  Life"  made  to  them  "  be- 
fore the  world  began,"  then  why 
should  it  be  thought  incredible,  that 
in  and  through  Christ  they  also  re- 
ceived forgiveness  of  the  sins  which 
they  may  have  committed  in  that  pre- 
existant  state  ? 

46.  If  all  the  two-thirds  who  kept 
their  first  estate  were  equally  valient 
in  the  war,  and  equally  faithful,  why 
should  some  of  them  be  called  and 
chosen  in  their  spiritual  state  to  hold 
responsible  stations  and  offices  in 
this  world,  while  others  were  not? 
If  there  were  none  of  those  spirits 
who  sinned,  why  were  the  Apostles, 
when  they  existed  in  their  previous 
state,  chosen  to  be  blessed  "  with  all 
spiritual  blessings  in  heavenly  places 
in  Christ?"  All  these  passages  seem 
to  convey  an  idea,  that  there  were 
callings,  choosings,  ordinances,  pro- 
mises, predestinations,  elections,  and 
appointments,  made  before  the  world 
began.  The  same  idea  is  also  con- 
veyed in  the  quotation  which  we  have 
already  made  from  the  Book  of  Abra- 
ham. "  Now  the  Lord  had  shewn 
unto  me,  Abraham,  the  intelligences 
that  were  organized  before  the  world 
was  ;  and  among  all  these  there  were 
many  of  the  noble  and  great  ones ; 
and  God  saw  these  souls  that  they 
were  good,  and  he  stood  in  the  midst 
of  them,  and  he  said,  these  I  will 
make  my  rulers  ;  for  he  stood  among 
those  that  were  spirits,  and  he  saw 
that  they  were  good  ;  and  he  said 
unto  me,  Abraham,  thou  art  one  of 
them,  thou  wast  chosen  before  thou 
wast  born."  Now  is  there  not  rea- 
son to  believe,  that  the  nobility  or 
greatness  which  many  of  these  spirits 
possessed,  was  obtained  by  faithful, 
ness  to  the  cause  of  God  1  Was  it 
not  because  of  their  righteousness 
that  they  were  appointed  to  be  the 
Lord's  Rulers?  How  did  Abraham 
become  one  of  the  noble  and  great 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


spirits.'  How  came  the  Lord  to 
choose  Abraham  before  he  was  born  ? 
If  we  had  an  answer  to  these  ques- 
tions, we  should  very  probably  find 
that  Abraham  stood  up  valiently  for 
the  Son  of  God  at  the  time  the  re- 
bellion broke  out  :  and  that  because 
of  his  integrity  and  righteousness, 
the  Lord  chose  him  before  he  was 
born  to  hold  authority  and  power  in 
his  second  estate,  to  become  the 
father  of  the  faithful,  and  to  be  a 
blessing  to  all  nations. 

47.  All  the  spirits  when  they  come 
here  are  innocent,  that  is,  if  they 
have  ever  committed  sins,  they  have 
repented  and  obtained  forgiveness 
through  faith  in  the  future  sacrifice 
of  the  Lamb.  So  far  as  innocency 
is  concerned,  they  enter  this  world 
alike  ;  but  so  far  as  circumstances 
are  concerned  they  are  not  alike. 
One  class  of  spirits  are  permitted  to 
come  into  the  world  in  an  age  when 
the  priesthood  and  kingdom  of  God 
are  on  the  earth,  and  they  hear  and 
receive  the  gospel ;  others  enter  the 
world  in  an  age  of  daikness,  and  are 
educated  in  foolish  and  erroneous  doc- 
trines. Some  are  born  among  the 
people  of  God  and  are  brought  up  in 
the  right  way;  others  are  born  among 
the  heathen,  and  taught  to  worship 
idols.  Some  spirits  take  bodies  in  the 
lineage  of  the  chosen  seed,  through 
whom  the  priesthood  is  transferred, 
others  receive  bodies  among  the 
African  negroes  or  in  the  lineage  or 
Canaan  whose  descendants  were 
cursed,  pertaining  to  the  priesthood. 
Now  if  all  the  spirits  were  equally 
faithful  in  their  first  estate  in  keeping 
the  laws  thereof,  why  are  they  placed 
in  such  dissimilar  circumstances  in 
their  second  estate?  Why  are  some 
placed  in  circumstances  where  they 
are  taught  of  God,  become  rulers, 
kings,  and  priests,  and  finally  are  ex- 
alted to  all  the  fulness  of  Celestial 
glory;  while  others  are  taught  in  all 
kinds  of  wickedness,  and  never  hear 
the  gospel,  till  they  hear  it  in  prison 
after  death,  and  in  the  resurrection 
receive  not  a  Celestial  glory,  but  a 
Terrestrial  ?  If  rewards  and  punish- 
ments are  the   results   of  good   and 


evil  actions,  then  it  would  seem  that 
the  good  and  evil  circumstances  un- 
der which  the  spirits  enter  this  world;, 
must  depend  upon  the  good  and  evil 
actions  which  they  had  done  in  the 
previous  world.  Our  condition  when 
we  enter  the  next  world  will  depend 
upon  our  conduct  here,  By  analogy, 
then,  does,  not  our  condition  when  we 
enter  this  world,  depend  upon  our 
conduct  before  we  were  born  ?  Does 
not  the  question  which  the  Apostles 
put  to  the  Saviour,  respecting  the 
man  who  was  born  blind,  show  that 
they  considered  it  possible  for  a  man 
to  sin  before  he  was  horn  ?  They 
considered  it  reasonable  that  a  person 
should  be  born  blind  as  a  penalty  for 
the  sins  which  he  had  committed  be- 
fore he  was  born.  Though  the  spirits 
are  all  innocent  when  they  come  here 
may  it  not  be  possible  that  they  are 
forgiven  and  made  innocent  on  con- 
dition that  they  shall  enter  this  world 
under  circumstances  either  favorable 
or  unfavorable,  according  to  the  na- 
ture of  their  sins  ?  Do  not  the  in- 
habitants  of  our  world,  who  are  raised 
from  the  dead,  differ  in  glory  as  one 
star  differs  from  another?  Is  it  not 
necessary  that  they  should  be  fin*, 
given  of  all  their  sins  and  made  in- 
nocent before  they  can  receive  the 
Holy  Ghost  or  any  degree  of  glory? 
And  do  not  the  differences  of  their 
condition  in  the  resurrection  depend 
upon  the  nature  of  their  actions  in 
this  life  ?  If  then  they  must  be  for- 
given  and  become  innocent  before 
they  can  even  enter  a  kingdom  of 
glory,  and  if,  when  they  do  enter 
theie,  it  is  under  a  great  variety  of 
circumstancies,  depending  on  their 
actions  here,  then  we  may  from 
analogy  reason  that  the  spirits  must  be 
forgiven  and  become  innocent  before 
they  can  even  come  here,  and  that 
when  they  do  come,  it  will  be  under  a 
agreat  varieiy  of  conditions,  depending 
on  their  actions  in  a  previous  state. 

48.  Though  there  may  be  many 
callings,  and  appointments  in  a  pre- 
vious state,  relating  to  a  future  slate, 
yet  we  do  not  imagine  that  the  Lord 
has  made  any  decrees  consigning 
any  individual,  who  is  favored  with 


THE    TRE-EXISTENCE    OP    MAN. 


57 


coming  into  (his  state,  unto  eternal 
damnation  or  salvation  without  con- 
ditions. Such  a  view  would  he  en- 
tirely in  opposition  to  the  general 
tenor  of  the  scriptures.  Salvation  is 
free  for  all  who  will  comply  with  the 
conditions  thereof:  but  there  are  cer- 
tain callings,  ordinances,  appoint- 
ments, and  authority,  pertaining  to 
this  life,  which  were  conferred  upon 
spirits  before  they  came  here,  and 
which,  doubtless,  were  promised  to 
them  because  of  their  good  works  in 
the  spirit  world. 

49.  The  division  line  being  per- 
manently drawn  between  Michael's 
and  the  Devil's  forces,  the  latter  were 
overpowered  and  cast  down,  and  the 
whole  heavens  wept  over  their  fall. 
A  description  of  this  is  given  in  a 
vision  shown  to  Joseph  the  Seer  and 
Sidney  Rigdon  :  we  give  the  follow. 
ing  extract :  "  And  this  we  saw  also 
and  bear  record,  that  an  angel  of  God 
who  was  in  authoiityin  the  presence 
of  God,  who  rebelled  against  the  only 
begotten  Son,  whom  the  Father  loved, 
and  who  was  in  the  bosom  of  the 
Father,  was  thrust  down  from  the 
presence  of  God  and  the  Son,  and 
was  called  Perdition,  for  the  heavens 
wept  over  him — he  was  Lucifer,  a 
son  of  the  morning.  And  we  beheld, 
and  lo,  he  is  fallen  !  is  fallen  !  even 
a  son  of  the  morning."  (Doc.  &  Cow, 
sec.  92  :  par.  3.)  Peace  being  re- 
stored in  Heaven,  and  all  who  re- 
mained, having  kept  their  first  estate 
and  overcome  Satan,  the  next  great 
work  to  be  accomplished  was  to 
place  these  spirits  upon  the  new 
earth  in  tabernacles  of  flesh  and 
bones,  where  they  all  could  pass 
through  another  series  of  trial*,  and 
meet  their  common  enemy  upon  new 
grounds  ;  and  if  they  should  succeed 
in  this  second  warfare  and  overcome 
and  vanquish  the  hosts  of  hell,  they 
were  to  be  counted  worthy  to  inherit 
all  things,  and  to  become  equal  with 
their  Father  in  glory,  and  in  power, 
and  in  might,  and  in  dominion. 

50.  The  first  tabernacle  of  flesh 
and  bones  was  formed  out  of  the  dust 
of  the  ground.  The  Lord  gives  the 
following  description  of  its  formation  : 
"  And  I,  the   Lord  God,  formed  man 


from  the    dust  of  the     ground,  and 
breathed  into  his  nostrils  the    breath 
of  life  ;    and    Man  became   a    living 
soul,  the   first   flesh   upon    the  earth, 
the  first   Man  also:  nevertheless,  all 
things  were  before  created;  but,  spirit, 
utlly,   were   they  created   and  made 
according    to    my    word." — (Joseph 
Smith's  inspired  translation.)     This 
is   more  fully  described  in   the   book 
of  Abraham.    "  And  the  Gods  formed 
Man  from  the  dust  of  the  ground,  and 
took    his   spirit,  (that   is,   the    man's 
spirit,)    and     put    it    into    him,    and 
breathed  into  his  nostrils  the   breath 
of  life,  and  Man  became  a  living  soul. 
And  the  Gods   planted  a  garden  east- 
ward  in  Eden  and  there  they  put  the 
Man,  whose  spirit   they  had   put   into 
the    body  which   they    had    formed." 
The  first  spirit  who  dwelt  in  a  taber- 
nacle here  on  the  earth,  was  Michael 
the    archangel,  who  headed  the    ar- 
mies of  heaven  against  the  rebellious 
hosts  :  for  this   information,  we   are 
dependant  on   a    revelation  given  to 
Joseph  the  Seer,  as  follows  :  "  Three 
years  previous  to  the  death  of  Adam, 
he  called  Set h,  Enos,  Cainan,  Maha- 
laleel,  Jared,  Enoch,  and  Methuselah, 
who  were    all    high  priests,  with  the 
residue    of  his    posterity    who    were 
righteous,  into   the  valley  of  AHam- 
ondi-ahman,  and  there  bestowed  upon 
them  his  last  blessing.   And  the  Lord 
appeared  unto  them,  and  they  rose  up 
and   blessed   Adam,  and   called    him 
Michael,  the  Prince,  the   Archangel. 
And  the   Lord    administered    comfort 
unto  Adam,  and  said  unto  him,  I  have 
set  thee  to  be    at  the  head — a  multi- 
tude of  nations   shall   come   of  thee, 
and  thou  art  a  Prince  over  them   for- 
ever." (Doc.   &   Cov.,  sec.   3  :  par. 
"28.)     It  is  reasonable,  that  the  chief 
Prince   or  Archangel,    after    having 
put  to  flight   his   enemies,  and    ban- 
ished them  from  Heaven  to  the  earth, 
should  be  the  first  to  enter  this  earth, 
being  shielded   and    protected   by  a 
body,  to  engage  in  a  second  warfare 
with   his  old  enemy  under  new  cir- 
cumstances, that  in  due  time,  he  and 
his  brethren  who  were  to  come  after 
him,  might  expel  Satan  and  his  hosts 
from  the  earth  also. 

(To  be  continued.) 


58 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE 

(Continued.) 


Having  proved  the  eternity  of  the 
marriage  Covenant,  and  illustrated 
the  design  of  this  divine  ordinance,  it 
may  not  be  improper  to  carefully  ex- 
amine  some  of  the  results  which  ne- 
cessarily flow  from  this  sacred  insti- 
tulion.  All  who  admit  the  eternal 
union  of  husband  and  wife,  are  obliged 
to  admit  as  a  necessary  consequence 
a  plurality  of  wives  ;  for  there  are 
circumstances  wherein  this  could  not 
be  easily  avoided  :  for  instance,  Mr. 
A  marries  Miss  B  for  time  and  for 
all  eternity:  in  process  of  time,  his 
wife  B  dies,  leaving  several  children. 
The  widower  Mr.  A  again  marries 
Miss  C.  Question.  How  will  his 
wife  C  obtain  a  husband  for  all  eter- 
nity? It  is  evident  that  she  must  re- 
main single  without  a  husband  in  a 
future  state,  or  else  be  married  to 
Mr.  A  for  eternity  as  well  as  time. 
If  she  choose  the  latter,  then  Mr.  A 
would  have  two  wives  in  the  morn- 
ing of  the  resurrection.  Again,  Mr. 
A  may  be  unfortunate  by  having  his 
wife  C  taken  from  him  by  death  ;  if 
he  marry  the  third  time,  he  would 
then  have  three  in  eternity;  and  so 
on.  Also  again,  Mr  A  may  die  be- 
fore his  wife  B  ;  his  widow  marries 
a  young  man  C  for  this  life  only,  as 
she  is  already  bound  to  her  deceas- 
ed husband  for  eternity.  Question, 
When  Mr.  A  claims  his  wife  in  the 
resurrection,  What  will  Mr.  C  do  for 
a  wife  ?  Answer,  he  must  either  do 
without  one,  or  else  be  married  to  a 
second  one  in  this  life  ;  in  the  latter 
case,  he  would  have  two  living  in 
this  life  at  the  same  time.  There- 
fore, if  marriage  for  eternity  be  a  di- 
vine institution,  as  we  have  abund- 
antly proved  it  to  be,  then  the  plu- 
rality of  wives  is  a  divine  institution 
also  ;  for  the  latter  necessarily  grows 
out  of  the  circumstances  arising  in 
relation  to  the  former. 

Another  instance  maybe  mention- 
ed ;  it  is  often  the  case  that  there  are 
many  females  who  never  had  the  offer 
of  marriage  from  young  men  in  whom 


they  could  place  confidence  to  entrust 
themselves  for  all  eternity.  Ques- 
tion, Must  these  females  remain 
without  husbands  in  the  eternal 
worlds  ?  Would  it  not  be  far  better 
for  each  of  them  to  be  connected  in 
marriage  with  a  faithful  man,  like 
Abraham,  though  he  may  already  be 
a  married  man,  than  to  remain  in  a 
single  state  to  all  eternity  ?  Would 
it  not  be  far  greater  happiness  for 
her  to  be  the  second,  or  third,  or 
fourth  wife,  and  thus  be  placed  in  a 
condition  to  raise  up  an  endless  pos- 
terity, and  enjoy  with  her  husband 
all  the  glory  and  honor  of  his  increas- 
ing kingdoms,  than  to  remain  as  an 
angel  or  servant,  without  posterity, 
for  ever  and  ever  ? 

And  again,  there  are  many  widows 
whose  hu?bands  die  without  embrac- 
ing the  gospel  ;  these  widows  may 
never  have  the  offer  of  marriage  by 
single  men.  Shall  they  be  left  un- 
provided for  in  the  eternal  covenant 
of  marriage  ?  Would  it  not  be  a 
blessing  for  them  to  be  placed  at  the 
head  of  a  numerous  offspring,  by 
whom  they  would  eternally  be  re- 
spected and  reverenced  in  connec- 
tion with  their  husbands  ?  What 
faithful  virtuous  woman  would  not 
prefer  to  stand  as  the  sixth  or  seventh 
wife  of  a  good  and  faithful  man, 
rather  than  to  have  no  husband  at 
all  throughout  the  endless  ages  of 
eternity  ? 

When  nation  rises  against  nation, 
and  kingdom  against  kingdom,  and 
the  sword  devours  from  one  end  of 
the  earth  to  the  other,  as  the  pro- 
phets  have  predicted  should  be  the 
case  in  the  last  days,  many  millions 
of  fathers  and  brothers  will  fall  upon 
the  battle  field,  while  mothers,  and 
daughters,  and  widows  will  be  left  to 
mourn  the  loss.  Wnftt  will  become 
of  these  females?  Answer,  the  gos- 
pel will  be  preached  to  many  of 
them,  and  they  will  flee  out  from 
among  the  nations,  and  be  gathered 
with   the    Saints    to    Zion.     Under 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


59 


these  circumstances,  the  number  of 
females  will  far  exceed  the  number 
of  males.  How  are  the  overplus  fe- 
males to  obtain  husbands  for  eterni- 
ty? We  will  answer  this  question 
in  the  words  of  Isaiah,  "In  that  day 
seven  women  shall  take  hold  of  one 
man,  saying,  We  will  eat  our  own 
bread,  and  wear  our  own  apparel : 
only  let  us  be  called  by  thy  name  to 
take  away  our  reproach."  (Isaiah 
4:  1.)  Thus  we  see  that  the  re- 
proach  of  having  no  husband  will  be 
far  greater  than  the  reproach  of 
seven  women  having  one  husband  ; 
indeed  the  latter  will  be  no  reproach 
at  all ;  it  will  be  the  only  means  of 
taking  away  their  reproach  ;  being  a 
divine  institution,  it  will  be  sought 
afier  with  eagerness,  even  at  the  ex- 
pense of  eating  their  own  bread  and 
wearing  their  own  apparel. 

The  Apostle  Paul  says,  "Neither 
is  the  man  without  the  woman,  nei- 
ther the  woman  without  the  man  in 
the  Lord."  (1  Cor.  11:  11.  If,  in- 
deed, it  be  a  true  doctrine  that  in  the 
Lord  the  man  is  not  without  the  wo- 
man nor  the  woman  without  the 
man,  then  it  is  of  the  utmost  import- 
ance that  each  should  secure  a  com- 
panion in  the  Lord,  that  is,  be  joined 
together  by  the  authority  of  God  as 
one  flesh,  not  only  for  this  life,  but 
for  that  which  is  to  come.  No  man 
can  be  "  in  the  Lord,"  in  the  full 
sense  of  this  passage,  that  is,  he  can- 
not enter  into  all  the  fulness  of  his 
glory  "  without  the  woman."  And 
no  woman  can  be  "in  the  Lord"  or 
in  the  enjoyment  of  a  fulness  "  with- 
out the  man."  This  divine  institu- 
tion being  properly  taught  and  under- 
stood, it  will  be  considered  a  reproach 
tor  any  man  or  woman  to  remain  in 
a  single  state,  and  not  comply  with 
the  ordinance  of  God  by  which  they 
can  legally  in  their  immortal  state 
"multiply  and  replenish"  the  New 
Earth  with  an  immortal  offspring. 
In  order  that  this  reproach  may  be 
taken  away  "  seven  woman  shall 
take  hold  of  one  man."  They  will 
understand  that  without  a  husband, 
thny  never  can  fulfil  that  great  com- 
mand which  was  given  to  immortal 


beings  ;  they  will  learn  that  if  they 
do  not  place  themselves  in  a  condi- 
tion to  obey  it,  they  must  suffer  the 
penalties  thereof,  and  arise  no  higher 
than  the  angels  whom  Paul  informs 
us  the  Saints  will  judge.  The  ca- 
lamities of  war  will  be  so  great  in 
that  day  that  the  females  will  be 
far  more  numerous  than  the  males; 
hence,  the  Lord  says,  "I  will  make 
a  man  more  precious  than  fine  gold  ; 
even  a  man  than  the  golden  wedge 
of  Ophir."  (Isaiah  13:  12.)  In 
that  day  the  long  established  custom 
of  the  male's  first  making  the  propo- 
sition of  marriage  to  the  female,  will, 
in  some  measure,  be  reversed.  In- 
stead of  a  man's  seeking  to  obtain 
the  consent  of  seven  women  to  be- 
come his  wives,  they  will  importune 
him  to  grant  them  that  privilege; 
and  for  fear  that  he  will  object  on 
account  of  the  expense  of  so  large  a 
family,  they  will  promise  to  "eat 
their  own  bread  and  wear  their  own 
apparel,"  if  they  can  "  only  be  called 
by  his  name  to  take  away  their  re- 
proach." And  to  show  that  the  Lord 
sanctions  that  order  of  things  and 
bestows  great  blessings  upon  the 
people  where  it  shall  be  practised, 
Isaiah,  in  the  following  verses,  says, 
•'  In  that  day  shall  the  branch  of  the 
Lord  be  beautiful  and  glorious,  and 
the  fruit  of  the  earth  shall  be  excel- 
lent and  comely  for  them  that  are  es- 
caped of  Israel.  And  it  shall  come 
to  pass,  that  he  that  is  left  in  Zion, 
and  he  that  remaineth  in  Jerusalem, 
shall  be  called  holy."  (Isa.  4:  2, 
3.)  And  in  the  fifth  verse,  he  in- 
forms us  that  "The  Lord  will  create 
upon  every  dwelling  place  of  Mount 
Zion,  and  upon  her  assemblies,  a 
cloud  and  smoke  by  day,  and  the 
shining  of  a  flaming  fire  by  night." 
"The  branch  of  the  Lord,"  which  is 
to  be  so  "  beautiful  and  glorious," 
having  upon  all  its  dwelling  places 
and  assemblies  a  cloud  by  day  and  a 
fire  by  night,"  are  the  very  people 
where  seven  women  are  to  be  united 
to  one  man,  and  to  be  called  by  his 
name  to  take  away  their  reproach. 

It  will  not  only  be  a  reproach  for 
a   woman  to  be   without  a  husband 


60 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


among  the  people  of  God,  but  it  will 
also  be  an  affliction  for  a  married 
woman  to  be  barren  ;  for  the  Lord 
has  commanded  the  male  and  female 
to  multiply  ;  it  will  be  a  causae  of  sor- 
row not  to  fulfil  this  command  :  this 
was  the  case  in  ancient  limes.  When 
Leah,  one  of  Jacob's  wives,  had  borne 
to  him  four  sons,  "she  left  bearing." 
"And  when  Leah  saw  that  she  had 
left  bearing,  she  took  Zilpah,  her 
maid,  and  gave  her  Jacob  to  wife." 
And  after  this,  she  called  upon  the 
Lord,  "and  God  hearkened  unto  Leah, 
and  she  conceived  and  bare  Jacob 
the  fifih  son.  And  Leah  said,  God 
hath  given  me  my  hire,  because  1  have 
given  my  maiden  to  my  husband." 
(Genesis  30:  9,  17,  18.)  Here  it 
will  be  seen,  that  God  hearkened  to 
Leah  and  gave  her  a  fifth  son,  and 
the  reason  assigned  for  this  blessing 
was,  "  Because  she  had  given  her 
maiden  to  her  husband."  This  was 
an  act  which  pleased  the  Lord,  and. 
therefore,  he  hearkened  to  her  njayer. 

But  why  was  the  Lord  pleased  with 
this  order  of  things  1  Because  he  is 
no  respecter  of  persons;  and  Zilpah, 
no  doubt,  was  just  as  worthy  of  a 
husband  and  posterity,  as  Leah.  And, 
although  Rachel  had  given  Bilhah  to 
Jacob  for  a  wife,  yet  it  seems  for 
some  reason,  that  Leah  delayed  fol- 
lowing the  example  of  her  younger 
sister,  and.  therefore,  she  was  barren, 
but  when  she  became  willing  to  give 
Zilpah  to  Jacob,  the  Lord  blessed  her 
for  the  act,  and  heard  her  prayers 
and  gave  her  another  son.  Both  Bil- 
hah and  Zilpah  would  propably  have 
failed  in  getting  husbands  for  eternity, 
if  Rachel  and  Leah  had  not  given 
them  to  Jacob.  There  may  be  many 
similar  circumstances  in  the  last  days 
wherein  females  would  fail  of  enter- 
ing into  the  eternal  covenant  of  mar- 
riage were  they  not  given  to  a  man 
already  having  a  family. 

Can  a  woman  have  more  than  one 
husband  at  the  same  time?  No: 
Such  a  principle  was  never  sanction- 
ed by  scripture.  The  object  of  mar- 
riage is  to  multiply  the  species,  ac- 
cording to  the  command  of  God.  A 
woman  with  one   husband   can   fulfil 


this  command,  with  greater  facilities, 
than  if  she  had  a  plurality;  indeed, 
this  would,  in  all  probability,  frustrate 
the,  great  design  of  marriage,  and 
prevent  her  from  raising  up  a  family. 
As  a  plurality  of  husbands,  would  not 
facilitate  the  increase  of  posterity, 
such  a  principle  never  was  tolerated 
in  scripture.  But  a  plurality  of  wives 
would  be  the  means  of  greatly  increas- 
ing a  family,  and  of  thus  fulfilling  the 
command,  not  only  to  a  far  greater 
extent  on  the  part  of  the  husband,  but 
also  on  the  part  of  the  females  who 
otherwise  might  have  been  under  the 
necessity  of  remaining  single  forever. 
As  instances  of  the  great  increase, 
arising  from  a  plurality  of  wives,  we 
will  mention  several  of  the  Judges  of 
Israel  ;  one  of  whom  had  thirty  sons  ; 
another  had  thirty  sons  and  thirty 
daughters  ;  another  had  forty  sons  ; 
(the  number  of  daughters  is  not  men- 
tioned ;)  onother  mighty  man  of  God, 
namely  Gideon,  had  seventy. two  sons; 
(the  number  of  daughters  is  not 
known.)  (See  Judges  8  :  30,  31 ;  also 
9:5;  and  10:  3,  4;  and  12:  8,9,14.) 
Among  all  the  people  of  Israel,  the 
Lord  chose  Gideon,  a  man  having 
many  wives  and  children,  to  redeem 
His  people  from  bondage.  To  this 
Polygamist  he  sent  his  angel,  and 
showed  him  great  signs  and  wonders, 
and  gave  him  many  revelations  how 
to  deliver  Israel. 

The  Psalmist  says,  "  Lo,  children 
are  an  heritage  of  the  Lord  :  and  the 
fruit  of  the  womb  is  his  reward.  Hap- 
py is  the  man  that  hath  his  quiver 
full  of  them  ;  they  shall  not  be  asham- 
ed, but  they  shall  speak  with  the  ene- 
mies in  the  gate."  (Ps.  127:  3,  5.) 
The  reward  which  God  bestows  upon 
his  people  is  children.  The  Lord's 
heritage  is  children:  hence  the  great 
anxiety  of  holy  men  and  holy  women 
in  ancient  times  to  increase  their 
children.  And  hence  the  Psalmist 
predicted,  concerning  the  redeemed 
of  the  Lord  that  should  be  gather- 
ed "  out  of  the  lands,  from  the  east, 
and  from  the  west,  from  the  north, 
and  from  the  south,"  that  after  they 
should  wander  in  the.  wilderness,  in  a 
solitary  way"  where  they   should  be 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


61 


permitted  to  "prepare  a  city  for  hab- 
itation,"  the  Lord  would  greatly  bless 
the  poor  man  "and  make  him  families 

like  a  Hock."  fSee  Psalm  107  :  2—7, 
35 — 43.)  Instead  of  the  righteous. 
in  that  day,  being  sorrowful  to  behold 
a  poor  man  having  "families  like  a 
flock,"  the  Psalmist  exclaims,  " The 
righteous  shall  see  it,  and  rejoice  : 
and  ill  iniquity  shall  stop  her  mouth. 
Whoso  is  wise  and  will  observe  ihese 
things,  even  they  shall  understand  the 
loving  kindness  of  the  Lord."  Those 
who  are  not  righteous,  and  are  not 
wise,  and  will  not  observe  what  the 
Psalrnht  says,  will  no  doubt  think 
that  a  strange  thing  is  happened  in 
the  land,  when  they  hear  of  a  poor 
mun's  having  "families  like  a  flock." 
The  wicked  will,  no  doubt,  open  their 
mouths  and  cry  Polygamy!  Polygamy!! 
with  a  view  to  frustrate  the  fulfilment 
of  the  prophecies  ;  hut  they  will  find 
before  ihey  get  through,  that  they  are 
fighting  agitinsl  God,  and  against  His 
purposes,  and  against  His  divine  in- 
stitutions, and  against  the  fulfilment 
of  the  prophets.  They  will  soon  find 
that  ••  iniquity  will  stop  her  mouth," 
and  that  the  Lord  is,  indeed,  in  the 
midst  of  His  people,  and  that  "he 
will  rebuke  strong  nations  afar  off," 
and  send  forth  His  laws  from  Zion  to 
govern  all  people.  Then  shall  they 
know  that  when  the  Lord  gives  a 
man  "families  like  a  flock,"  He  in- 
tends it  as  a  Messing  and  not  as  a 
curse  ;  fir  "  Lo,  children  are  an  herit- 
age ol  the  Lord,"  and  happy  are  they 
who,  through  the  everlasting  coven- 
ant of  marriage,  obtain  this  great  re- 
wan  I. 

At  a  certain  lime  Peter  said  to  Je- 
sus, "  Lo,  we  have  left  all,  and  have 
followed  thee.  And  Jesus  answered 
and  said,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  There 
is  no  m  in  that  iiath  left  house,  or 
brethren,  or  sisters,  or  father,  or 
mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or 
lauds,  tin-  my  sake,  and  the  gospel's, 
but  he  shall  receive  an  hundred 
fold,  no  v  in  this  time,  houses,  and 
brethren,  and  sisters,  and  mothers, 
and  children,  and  lands,  with  perse- 
cutions ;  and  in  the  world  to  come 
eternal   life."       (Mark    10:  28,  29, 


30.)  To  receive  "  now  in  this  time" 
an  hundred  fold  of  houses  and  lands  — 
an  hundred  fold  of  wives — an  hundred 
fold  of  children,  &c,  is  certainly  a 
great  temporal  reward.  A  man  ihat 
leaves  one  wife  tor  the  gospel's  sake, 
receives  a  hundred  wives  in  return 
for  his  sacrifice  :  a  man  that  leaves 
three  or  four  children  for  the  kingdom 
of  God's  sake,  receives  three  or  lour 
hundred  children  as  a  reward  "  now 
m  this  time."  But  how  does  he  get 
his  hundred  fathers  and  mothers  ? 
These  would  naturally  come  along  as 
he  obtained  his  hundred  told  of  wives; 
lor  the  parents  of  each  of  the  hundred 
wives,  he  would  lawfully  claim  as 
father  and  mother.  And  the  brothers 
and  sister  of  each  of  his  wives  he  would 
naturally  claim  as  his  brothers  and 
sisters,  "  An  hundred  fold  of  houses 
and  lands"  would  be  as  necessary  as 
any  other  part  of  these  promises  of 
our  Saviour  ;  for  they  certainly  would 
be  needed  to  comfortably  support  an 
hundred  fold  of  wives  and  children. 
Well  did  the  Psalmist  say  ihat  "Child- 
ren are  an  heritage  of  the  Lord:  and 
the  fruit  of  the  womb  is  his  reward." 
Well  did  he  say  that  the  Lord  should 
make  for  the  poor  man,  "  families 
like  a  flock;"  an  hundred  fold  of  fam- 
ilies, dwelling  in  a  hundred  houses, 
certainly  would  have  very  much  the 
appearance  of"  a  flock  " 

A  plurality  of  wives  was  not  only 
sanctioned  of  the  Lord  among  Israel, 
but  in  certain  cases  it  seems  to  have 
been  absolutely  necessary.  The 
scripture  says:  "If  brethren  dwell 
together,  and  one  of  them  die,  and 
have  no  child,  the  wife  of  the  dead 
shall  not  marry  without  unto  a  stran- 
ger :  her  husband's  brother  shall  go 
in  unto  her  and  take  her  to  him  to 
wife,  and  perform  the  duty  of  a 
husband's  brother  unto  her.  And 
it  shall  be,  that  the  first  born  wh.'cb 
she  beareth  shall  succeed  in  the 
name  of  his  brother  which  is  dead, 
that  his  name  be  not  put  out  of  Is. 
rael."  (Deut.  25:  5,  6)  If  the 
brother  of  the  deceased  was  already 
married,  it  did  not  relieve  him  from 
the  responsibility  of  the  law;  he  was 
required  to  marry  the  widow  of  his 


62 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


brother  in  order  to  raise  up  seed  to 
him  "that  his  name  he  not  put  out  of 
Israel."  Here,  then,  is  a  case  where 
a  man  would  be  obliged  to  come  out 
in  open  rebellion  against  the  law,  or 
else  have  a  plurality  of  wives  living 
at  the  same  time.  Now  take  the  case 
of  seven  brethren;  let  them  all  marry. 
If  six  of  the  brothers  died  without 
children,  the  seventh  would  l>e  obliged 
by  this  law  to  marry  the  six  widows ; 
hence,  he  would  have  seven  wives 
living  here  in  this  life,  or  otherwise 
be  a  transgressor  of  the  law.  If  the 
surviving  brother  have  no  previous 
wife  at  the  time  he  marries  his  bro- 
ther's  widow,  (as  the  first-born  must 
not  be  considered  as  his  seed,  but 
must  take  the  name  of  his  deceased 
brother,)  and  if  the  brother's  widow 
fail  to  have  children,  or,  at  least,  have 
but  one,  what  will  the  living  brother 
do  for  children  to  bear  up  his  own 
name  in  Israel?  Shall  he,  who  mar- 
ried his  brother's  widow  for  the  sake 
of  building  up  the  name  and  h<>use  of 
the  dead,  be  left  childless,  and  have 
his  own  name  blotted  out  from  under 
Heaven?  No,  verily  no;  he  would 
be  under  the  necessity  of  marrying 
another  wife,  besides  his  brother's 
widow,  in  order  that  his  own  house 
and  his  own  name  might  be  perpetu- 
ated among  the  tribes  of  Israel. 

The  continuation  of  the  name  and 
posterity  of  a  righteous  man  was 
considered  a  great  blessing;  hence 
David  exclaims  before  the  Lord,  say- 
ing:  "The  children  of  thy  servants 
shall  continue,  and  their  seed  shall  be 
established  before  thee."  (Psalm 
102  :  28.)  To  have  the  chain  of 
posterity  broken  by  death  was  con- 
sidered a  great  calamity,  therefore 
the  Lord  made  strict  provisions  for 
such  cases.  If  the  deceased  had  no 
brother  living,  it  then  fell  upon  the 
nearest  kinsman  to  marry  his  widow. 
We  have  an  example  of  this  given 
in  the  book  of  Ruth  :  her  husband 
being  dead,  and  having  no  child,  nor 
any  brother  to  marry  his  widow, 
Boaz,  his  uncle,  one  of  the  brothers 
of  his  father,  took  Ruth  for  his  wife, 
"to  raise  up  the  name  of  the  dead 
upon  his  inheritance,  that  the  name 


of  the  dead  be  not  cut  off  from  among 
his  brethren,  and  from  the  gate  of  his 
place."  (Ruth  4:  10.)  Thus  Boaz 
and  Ruth  became  the  great  grand 
parents  of  David. 

This  order  of  things  did  not  origi- 
nate with  the  law  of  Moses  ;  it  was 
in  existence  in  the  diys  of  the  pa- 
triarchs long  before  Moses  was  born. 
Judah  had  three  sons,  namely,  Er, 
Onan,  and  Shelah.  Er,  having  mar- 
ried Tamar,  died  because  of  his 
wickedness  without  a  child.  "And 
Judah  said  unto  Onan,  go  in  unto  thy 
brother's  wife  and  marry  her,  and 
raise  up  seed  to  thy  brother.  And 
Onan  knew  that  the  seed  should  not 
be  his,"  and  though  he  married  her, 
he  refused  to  "give  seed  to  his  brother. 
And  the  thing  thai  he  did  displeased 
the  Lord;  wherefore  he  slew  him 
also."  (Gen.  38:  6-10.)  Shelah 
being  too  young  to  marry,  Judah  re- 
quired Tamar  to  "remain  a  widow  at 
her  father's  house  until  Shelah  was 
grown."  Thus  we  see  that  before 
the  law  of  Moses  was  given  the  pa- 
triarchs understood  and  practiced  the 
law  which  required  the  brother  of  the 
deceased  to  marry  his  widow,  for  the 
purpose  of  continuing  the  name  of  the 
dead.  This  law  as  we  have  seen 
necessarily  includes  a  plurality  of 
wives. 

In  a  nation  as  numerous  as  Israel 
there  would  naturally  be  many  thous- 
ands of  instances  throughout  all  their 
generations  where  husbands  would 
die  without  children  ;  and  there  also 
would  be  many  thousands  of  instances 
where  the  living  brother  or  next  kins- 
man, though  already  married,  would 
be  required  by  the  law  to  marry  the 
widow.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
this  order  of  things  was  in  full  force, 
and  all  Israel  were  required  to  ob- 
serve it,  at  the  time  our  Saviour  and 
his  apostles  went  forth  preaching 
among  that  nation.  Question.  Was 
there  anything  connected  with  the 
gospel  and  teachings  of  Christ  or  his 
apostles,  intended  to  abolish  the  law 
in  relation  to  the  widow  of  the  dead? 
When  our  Saviour  and  his  servants 
went  forth  through  all  the  cities  of 
Israel,  preaching,  baptizing,  and   in- 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


63 


trnducing  into  the  church  all  who 
would  receive  their  testimony,  is 
it  at  all  likely  that  thpy  condemned 
those  who  had  married  a  plurality  of 
wives  in  obedience  to  the  law  ?  What 
would  they  naturally  have  said  to  a 
man  who  had  married  half  a  dozen 
widows  of  his  brothers  who  had  died 
childless?  Would  they  have  con- 
demned him  for  keeping  the  law? 
Would  they  have  refused  him  en- 
trance into  the  Christian  Church,  be- 
cause he  had  been  faithful  to  the  law  ? 
Would  they  have  required  him  to  put 
away  the  widows  of  the  dead  whom 
the  law  had  compelled  him  to  marry? 
If  he  had  not  kept  the  law.  would  he 
not  have  been  condemned  by  the 
law?  Hear  what  the  penalty  of  dis- 
obedience is,  "  Cursed  be  he  that  con- 
firmeth  not  all  the  words  of  this  law 
to  do  them.  And  all  the  people  shall 
say,  amen.  (I)eut.  27:  26.)  A  man, 
then,  was  bound  under  a  heavy  curse 
to  marry  all  the  widows  of  his  de- 
ceased brothers  who  died  childless. 
Must  he,  therefore,  be  a  cast-away 
for  doing  his  duty?  Must  he  be  kept 
without  the  pale  of  the  Christian 
Church,  unless  he  put  away  all  his 
wives  but  one  ?  Such  an  idea  is  pre- 
posterous. On  the  other  hand,  if 
Jesus  and  his  servants  had  found  a 
man  in  all  Israel  who  had  refused  to 
obey  this  law — who  would  not  marry 
the  widows  of  his  dead  brothers,  they 
would  have  reproved  him  as  a  trans- 
gressor ;  they  would  have  told  him 
that  he  was  under  a  curse  for  ne- 
glecting to  obey  the  law  ;  they  would 
have  warned  him  to  repent;  and  it 
is  very  doubtful  whether  they  would 
have  received  him  into  the  Christian 
Church,  unless  he  first  manifested 
his  repentance  by  observing  the  law, 
and  marrying  the  widows,  as  required. 
And  again,  we  ask,  was  it  not  just 
as  necessary  for  Israel,  under  the 
Christian  dispensation,  to  observe 
this  law,  and  perpetuate  the  name  of 
the  dead,  as  under  the  Patriarchal 
and  Mosaic  dispensations?  Why 
was  it  necessary  that  the  name  of 
the  dead  should  be  held  so  sacred, 
until  Christ  came,  and  then  be  en 
tirely  neglected  and  forgotton  ?  Some 


may  say  that  when  Christ  came,  "  old 
things  were  done  away  and  all  thingg 
became  new."  But  who  does  not 
know  that  this  had  reference  only  to 
the  law  of  carnal  commandments  and 
ordinances  which  Christ  came  to  ful- 
fil? Who  does  not  know  that  there 
were  many  commandments  and  laws 
which  were  connected  with  the  law 
of  ordinances  which  were  continued 
under  the  gospel?  The  ten  com- 
mandments were  not  done  away  in 
Christ.  Prayer  which  was  practised 
under  the  law,  was  also  necessary 
under  the  gospel.  The  law  against 
adultery  was  not  abolished  by  the 
gospel.  The  gospel  did  not  abolish 
the  law  against  stealing,  against  kill- 
ing, against  taking  the  name  of  the 
Lord  in  vain,  against  false  witnesses, 
against  drunkenness,  or  against  any 
other  abominations.  Christ  did  not 
do  away  the  law  of  doing  good  to 
ones  neighbor,  the  law  of  upright- 
ness and  honesty  which  should  char- 
acterize their  dealings,  one  with 
another.  Christ,  by  introducing  the 
gospel,  never  intended  to  abolish  the 
law  practised  among  Israel  in  help- 
ing the  poor,  the  needy,  the  father- 
less, and  the  widow.  Hence  there 
were  hundreds  of  commands  and 
laws  under  the  Patriarchal  and  Mo- 
saic dispensations  which  Christ  did 
not  come  to  do  away.  What  was 
moral,  and  good,  and  righteous  be- 
fore Christ  came  was  equally  so  af- 
ter he  came,  unless  we  can  find  some 
evidence  to  the  contrary.  If  it  was 
a  good,  moral,  and  righteous  act,  be- 
fore  Christ  to  remember  the  dead 
who  left  no  posterity,  it  was  equally 
so  after  Christ,  unless  we  can  find 
something  in  Christ's  doctrine,  abol- 
ishing the  law  of  marriage  in  behalf 
of  the  dead.  What  is  there  in  the 
gospel  that  conflicts  with  the  idea  of 
the  widows  of  several  brothers  that 
are  dead,  marrying  the  only  surviv- 
ing  brother,  and  the  first  born  of 
each  being  called  after  the  name  of 
the  dead,  that  his  name  and  lineage 
might  be  perpetuated  to  future  gene- 
rations ?  Why  should  it  be  thought 
so  very  important  to  continue  the 
names  and  lineages  of  the  millions 


64 


CONTENTS. 


of  Israel  for  thousands  of  years,  and 
then  all  at  once  abolish  the  law  es- 
tablished for  this  purpose  ? 

There  were  thousands  of  Israelites, 
who,  if  they  lived  up  to  their  law,  musl 
have  had  a  plurality  of  wives  when 
the  gospel  was  first  introduced  among 
them.  And  as  the  Apostles  were 
commanded  to  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature,  they  must  have 
preached  it  to  these  thousands  of 
Polygamists.  How  could  they  be- 
come  members  of  the  church  of  Christ? 
If  plurality  of  wives  was  not  tolerated 
in  the  Christain  Church,  it  is  evident 
that  these  Jewish  Polygamists  would 
have  to  break  up  their  families  and 
each  give  a  bill  of  divorcement  unto 
all  his  wives,  but  one  :  but  the  gos- 
pel forbids  the  giving  of  a  bill  of  di 
voice,  only  in  case  of  adultery.  The 
gospel  says  "what  God  has  joined 
together  let  no  man  put  assunder." 
A  man,  then,  who  had  married  several 
widows  of  his  deceased  brothers  ac- 
cording to  the  law,  (being  under  a 
heavy  curse  if  he  refused,)  \fould 
have  no  right  to  put  them  assunder 
or  give  them  a  bill  of  divorce.  What 
must  he  do  ?  According  to  the  views 
of  modern  Christendom  he  could  not 
enter  the  Christian  Church  with  a 
plurality  of  wives,  and  according  to 
the  gospel  he  would  have  no  right  t<> 


divorce  them.  Therefore,  he  would 
be  without  hope;  no  possible  way  for 
for  him  to  be  saved.  Who  so 
destitute  of  common  sense  as  to 
believe,  for  one  moment,  such  ab- 
surdities ?  Thousands  of  the  Israel- 
ites, then,  were  compelled,  through 
fear  of  the  curse  of  disobedience,  to 
marry  a  plurality  of  wives  .  and  these 
thousands  of  Polygamists  were  com- 
pelled by  the  gospel  not  to  divorce 
their  wives  only  for  the  sin  of  adul- 
tery. Therefore  either  the  Christian 
Church  must  have  tolerated  Poly- 
gamy, or  else  they  must  have  been 
under  the  necessity  of  unlawfully  di- 
vorcing that  which  God  had  joined 
together,  or  else  they  must  have  con- 
sidered that  all  such,  because  of  their 
faithfulness  to  the  law  in  behalf  of 
the  dead,  had  placed  themselves  be- 
yond the  reach  of  gospel  mercy.  Here 
are  three  alternatives ;  which  will 
the  Christian  choose?  To  choose 
either  of  (he  latter  two  would  be,  not 
only  unscriptural,  but  sinful  in  the 
highest  decree.  The  first  alternative 
ilone  remains,  namely,  to  tolerate 
the  plurality  system  as  a  divine  in- 
stitution; to  admit  Jewi-h  Polygamists 
into  the  Christian  Church,  with  all 
their  wives,  through  their  faith  and 
obedience  to  the  gospel. 

{To  be  continued.) 


CONTENTS. 

The  Pre-existence  of  Man 49 

Celestial  Marriage 58 

Contents   64 


WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.  C. 

Edited  and  Published  bt  Orsoi*  Pkatt, 

at  $1  per  annum,  invariably  in  advance 


All  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  He 
lifteth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains. — Isaiah  xvm,  3. 


Vol.  I. 


MAY,  1853. 


No.  5. 


THE  PRE-EXISTENCE  OF  MAN. 

( Continued.) 


51.  Whether  the  spirit  of  Adam  or 
Michael  stood  next  in  age  to  the  first 
horn,  and  by  virtue  of  his  age  was 
entitled  to  the  chief  command,  revela 
tion  does  not  determine.  It  may  be 
that  he  attained  that  exalted  station 
through  his  good  works  independent 
of  his  age.  Whatever  may  have 
been  the  cause  that  placed  him  at  the 
head,  it  is  evident  that  he  honored  his 
calling  and  gained  a  complete  victory 
and  was  counted  worthy  to  be  the 
first  spirit  who  was  permitted  to  have 
a  body  upon  the  new  world.  He  thus 
became  the  first  father  of  the  fleshly 
bodies  which  were  to  be  inhabited  by 
the  numerous  hosts  of  spirits  who 
were  once  martialed  under  his  com 
mand.  In  the  spiritual  world  all  the 
spirits  were  brethren  and  sisters, 
springing  from  the  same  Father  ;  but 
in  the  temporal  world  Michael  be- 
came a  father  to  his  own  brethren, 
according  to  the   flesh. 

52.  When  Michael  was  put  into 
his  earthly  tabernacle,  the  inspired 
translation  informs  us  that  he  was 
"the first  flesh  upon  the  earth;"  the 
tabernacles  of  the  fish,  fowls,  and 
beasts  were  not  yet  formed,  neither 
were  there  any  herbs,  or  grass,  or 
trees,  or  vegetables,  of  any  descrip- 
tion upon  the  earth  when  Adam's 
body  was  formed.  The  earth,  air, 
and  ocean  were  truly  empty  and  des- 
olate of  both  vegetable  and  animal 


life.  It  is  true,  as  we  have  already 
stated,  that  all  these  things  had  been 
created  spiritually  in  Heaven,  but  as 
yet  had  not  been  placed  upon  the 
earth.  Man,  therefore,  stood  alone 
in  the  midst  of  this  vast  solitude. 
The  description  of  the  creation,  as 
given  in  the  Book  of  Abraham,  con- 
firms this  idea  and  shows  most  clearly 
that  the  vegetables  and  animals  were 
not  placed  upon  the  earth  on  the  third, 
fifth,  and  sixth  days  or  periods,  as  has 
been  generally  supposed.  The  his- 
tory  of  the  third  day's  work  reads  as 
follows :  "  And  the  Gods  ordered, 
sdying,  Let  the  waters  under  the 
Heaven  be  gathered  together  unto 
one  place,  and  let  the  earth  come  up 
dry  ;  and  it  was  so  as  they  ordered  ; 
and  the  Gods  pronounced  the  earth 
dry,  and  the  gathering  together  of  the 
waters  pronounced  they  great  waters ; 
and  the  Gods  saw  that  they  were 
obeyed.  And  the  Gods  said,  "Let  us 
prepare  the  earth  to  bring  forth  grass; 
the  herb  yielding  seed  ;  the  fruit  tree 
yielding  fruit,  after  his  kind,  whose 
seed  in  itself  yieldeth  its  own  like, 
ness  upon  the  earth  ;  and  it  was  so 
even  as  they  ordered.  And  the  Gods 
organized  the  earth  to  bring  forth 
grass  from  its  own  seed,  and  the  herb 
to  bring  forth  herb  from  its  own  seed, 
yielding  seed  after  his  kind  ;  and  the 
earth  to  bring  forth  the  tree  from  its 
own  seed,  yielding  fruit,  whose   seed 


66 


THE   FEE-EXISTENCE   OF   MAST. 


coold  only  bring  forth  the  same  in  it- 
self,  after  his  kind  ;  and  the  Gods  saw 
that  they  were  obeyed.  And  it  came 
to  pass  that  they  numbered  the  days; 
from  the  evening  until  the  morning 
they  called  night ;  and  it  came  to 
pass,  from  the  morning  until  the 
evening  they  called  day ;  and  it  was 
the  third  time." 

By  attentively  reading  the  above 
quotation,  it  will  be  perceived  that 
the  Gods,  instead  of  actually  sowing 
the  seed  or  setting  out  the  plants, 
only  prepared  or  organized  the  earth 
to  bring  forth  vegetables  at  some  fu- 
ture time,  when  they  should  see 
proper  to  plant  them.  It  may  be 
asked,  What  preparation  the  ground 
needed  ?  The  answer  is  not  given  ; 
but  we  may  naturally  suppose  that  the 
different  ingredients  necessary  to  a 
soil  adapted  to  vegetation  were  not 
united  in  their  proper  proportions.  It 
is  altogether  likely,  then,  that  the 
preparation  of  the  earth  to  bring  forth 
vegetables  consisted  in  bringing  to- 
gether, combining,  and  uniting  the 
elements  and  their  compounds  in  such 
proportions  as  should  form  a  soil 
adapted  to  the  growth  of  vegetables 
of  every  kind  ;  this  preparation  of  the 
ground  took  place  during  the  third  day 
or  time  ;  but  on  that  day  there  were 
no  herbs,  grasses,  trees,  or  vegeta- 
bles of  any  description  planted.  The 
sowing  of  seed  and  planting  was  post- 
poned until  some  future  period. 

53.  It  has  generally  been  supposed 
that  the  fish  and  fowls  were  made  on 
the  fifth  day,  but  the  Book  of  Abra- 
ham gives  entirely  a  different  idea; 
a  description  of  the  fifth  day's  work 
is  as  follows : 

"And  the  Gods  said,  Let  us  pre- 
pare  the  waters  to  bring  forth  abund- 
antly  the  moving  creatures  that  have 
life  ;  and  the  fowl  that  they  may  fly 
above  the  earth  in  the  open  expanse 
of  Heaven.  And  the  Gods  prepared 
the  waters  that  they  might  bring  forth 
great  whales,  and  every  living  crea- 
ture that  moveth,  which  the  waters 
were  to  bring  forth  abundantly  after 
their  kind  ;  and  every  winged  fowl 
after  their  kind.  And  the  Gods  saw 
that  they  would  be  obeyed  and  that 
their  plan  was  good.     And  the  Gods 


said,  We  will  bless  them  and  cause 
them  to  be  fruitful  and  multiply,  and 
fill  the  waters  in  the  seas  or  great 
waters  ;  and  cause  the  fowl  to  multi- 
ply in  the  earth.  And  it  came  to 
pass  that  it  was  from  evening  until 
morning  that  they  called  night;  and 
it  came  to  pass  that  it  was  from  morn- 
ing until  evening  that  they  called  day; 
and  it  was  the  fifth  time." 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  descrip- 
tion  that  the  fifth  day's  labor  consisted 
not  in  the  formation  of  the  tabernacles 
offish  and  fowl,  but  in  preparing  the 
waters  and  the  elements  to  bring  forth 
these  creatures,  or  in  other  words,  to 
sustain  them  after  the  Lord  should 
make  them  and  place  them  therein. 
What  this  preparation  was  we  are 
not  informed,  but  we  may  reasonably 
conclude  that  there  needed  to  be  a 
union  or  combination  of  other  sub- 
stances with  those  of  water  and  air 
in  order  to  prepare  them  for  the  crea- 
tures who  should  in  due  time  dwell 
therein.  Perhaps  there  was  not  a 
proper  proportion  of  heat,  light,  elec- 
tricity, and  other  substances  in  union 
with  the  air  and  water  to  sustain  the 
animal  life,  destined  to  occupy  those 
elements.  The  fifth  day's  labor, 
therefore,  instead  of  forming  these 
animals,  merely  prepared  a  place  for 
them  so  that  they  might  be  sustained 
when  they  should  be  formed. 

54.  From  the  uninspired  transla- 
tion of  the  book  of  Genesis  it  has  also 
been  supposed  that  the  cattle  and 
creeping  things,  and  beasts  of  the 
earth  were  formed  on  the  sixth  day  ; 
but  the  Book  of  Abraham  gives  a 
more  full  description  of  the  sixth  day's 
work.     It  reads  as  follows  : 

"And  the  Gods  prepared  the  earth 
to  bring  forth  the  living  creature  after 
his  kind,  cattle  and  creeping  things, 
and  beasts  of  the  earth  after  their 
kind ;  and  it  was  so,  as  they  had 
said.  And  the  Gods  organized  the 
earth  to  bring  forth  the  beasts  after 
their  kind,  and  cattle  after  their  kind, 
and  everything  that  creepeth  upon 
the  earth  after  their  kind  ;  and  the 
Gods  saw  they  would  obey.  And  the 
Gods  took  counsel  among  themselves 
and  said,  Let  us  go  down  and  form 
man  in  our  image,  after  our  likeness ; 


THE   PRE-EXISTENCE    OP    MAN. 


67 


and  we  will  give  them  dominion  over 
the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl 
of  the  air,  and  over  the  cattle,  and 
over  all  the  earth,  and  over  every 
creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the 
earth.  So  the  Gods  went  down  to  or- 
ganize  man  in  their  own  image,  in  the 
image  of  the  Gods  to  form  they  him, 
male  and  female,  to  form  they  them  ; 
and  the  Gods  said,  We  will  bless 
them.  And  the  Gods  said,  We  will 
cause  them  to  be  fruitful  and  multiply 
ana'  replenish  the  earth,  and  subdue 
it,  and  to  have  dominion  over  the  fish 
of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the 
air,  and  over  every  living  thing  that 
moveth  upon  the  earth.  And  the 
Gods  said,  Behold  we  will  give  them 
every  herb  bearing  seed  that  shall 
come  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth, 
and  every  tree  which  shall  have  fruit 
upon  it,  yea,  the  fruit  of  the  tree 
yielding  seed  to  them  we  will  give  it, 
it  shall  be  for  their  meat;  and  to 
every  beast  of  the  earth,  and  to  every 
fowl  of  the  air,  and  to  everything  that 
creepeth  upon  the  earth,  behold,  we 
will  give  them  life,  and  also  we  will 
give  to  them  every  green  herb  for 
meat,  and  all  these  things  shall 
be  thus  organized.  And  the  Gods 
said,  We  will  do  every  thing  that  we 
have  said,  and  organize  them  ;  and 
behold,  they  shall  be  very  obedient. 
And  it  came  to  pass  that  it  was  from 
evening  until  morning  they  called 
night ;  and  it  came  to  pass  that  it 
was  from  morning  until  evening  that 
they  called  day  ;  and  they  numbered 
the  sixth  time. 

And  thus  we  will  finish  the  Hea- 
vens and  the  earth,  and  all  the  hosts 
of  them.  And  the  Gods  said  among 
themselves,  on  the  seventh  time  we 
will  end  our  work  which  we  have 
counselled  ;  and  we  will  rest  on  the 
seventh  time  from  all  our  work  which 
we  have  counselled.  And  the  Gods 
concluded  upon  the  seventh  time,  be- 
cause that  on  the  seventh  time  they 
would  rest  from  all  their  works  which 
they  (the  Gods)  counselled  among 
themselves  to  form,  and  sanctified  it. 
And  thus  were  their  decisions  at  the 
time  that  they  counselled  among 
themselves  to  form  the  Heavens  and 


the  earth.  And  the  Gods  came  down 
and  formed  these  the  generations  of 
the  Heavens  and  of  the  earth,  when 
they  were  formed,  in  the  day  that  the 
Gods  formed  the  earth  and  the  Hea- 
vens, according  to  all  that  which  they 
had  said  concerning  every  plant  of 
the  field  before  it  was  in  the  earth, 
and  every  herb  of  the  field  before  it 
grew;  for  the  Gods  had  not  caused 
it  to  rain  upon  the  earth  when  they 
counselled  to  do  them,  and  had  not 
formed  a  man  to  till  the  ground  ;  but 
there  went  up  a  mist  from  the  earth, 
and  watered  the  whole  face  of  the 
ground.  And  the  Gods  formed  man 
from  the  dust  of  the  ground,  and  took 
his  spirit,  (that  is,  the  man's  spirit,) 
and  put  it  into  him,  and  breathed  into 
his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life,  and  man 
became  a  living  soul. 

And  the  Gods  planted  a  garden, 
eastward  in  Eden,  and  there  they  put 
the  Man,  whose  spirit  they  had  put 
into  the  body  which  they  had  formed. 
And  out  of  the  ground  made  the  Gods 
to  grow  every  tree  that  is  pleasant  to 
the  sight  and  good  for  food  :  the  tree 
of  life,  also,  in  the  midst  of  the  gar- 
den, and  the  tree  of  knowledge,  of 
good  and  evil.  There  was  a  river 
running  out  of  Eden,  to  water  the 
garden,  and  from  thence  it  was  parted 
and  became  into  four  heads.  And 
the  Gods  took  the  Man  and  put  him 
in  the  garden  of  Eden,  to  dress  it  and 
to  keep  it :  and  the  Gods  commanded 
the  Man,  saying,  of  every  tree  of  the 
garden  thou  mayest  freely  eat,  but  of 
the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and 
evil,  thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it ;  for  in 
the  time  that  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou 
shalt  surely  die.  Now  I,  Abraham, 
saw  that  it  was  after  the  Lord's  time, 
which  was  after  the  time  of  Kolob ; 
for  as  yet  the  Gods  had  not  appointed 
unto  Adam  his  reckoning. 

And  the  Gods  said,  let  us  make  an 
help  meet  for  the  Man,  for  it  is  not 
good  that  the  man  should  be  alone, 
therefore,  we  will  form  an  help  meet 
for  him.  And  the  Gods  caused  a 
deep  sleep  to  fall  upon  Adam  ;  and  he 
slept,  and  they  took  one  of  his  ribs, 
and  closed  up  the  flesh  in  the  stead 
thereof,  and  the  rib  which  the  Goda 


THE   PRE-EXISTENCE   OF   MAN. 


had  taken  from  Man  formed  they  a 
Woman,  and  brought  her  unto  the 
Man.  And  Adam  said,  this  was  bone 
of  my  bones,  and  flesh  of  my  flesh, 
now  she  shall  be  called  Woman,  be- 
cause she  was  taken  out  of  Man  ; 
therefore  shall  a  man  leave  his  father 
and  his  mother,  and  shall  cleave  unto 
his  wife,  and  they  shall  be  one  flesh. 
And  they  were  both  naked,  the  Man 
and  his  wife,  and  were  not  ashamed. 
And  out  of  the  ground  the  Gods 
formed  every  beast  of  the  field,  and 
every  fowl  of  the  air,  and  brought 
them  unto  Adam  to  see  what  he  would 
call  them  ;  and  whatsoever  Adam  cab 
led  every  living  creature,  that  should 
be  the  name,  thereof.  And  Adam 
gave  names  to  all  cattle,  to  the  fowl 
of  the  air,  to  every  beast  of  the  field  : 
and  for  Adam  there  was  found  an  help 
meet  for  him."*  From  the  descrip. 
tion  here  given  of  the  sixth  day's 
labor,  it  will  be  perceived  that  the 
Gods  on  that  day  merely  "prepared 
the  earth  to  bring  forth"  cattle,  living 
things,  beasts,  creeping  things,  and 
Man.  The  Gods  also  counselled 
among  themselves,  on  that  day,  what 
should  be  given  to  Man  and  every 
species  of  animals  for  food  :  they  also 
determined  on  the  dominion  which 
they  would  give  to  Man  after  his  for- 
mation ;  and  many  more  things  were 
determined  on  the  sixth  day,  in  the 
grand  council  of  the  Gods,  in  relation 
to  the  future  creation  of  vegetable  and 
animal  existence  on  the  earth.  But 
the  sixth  day's  labor  seems  to  have 
been  accomplished  before  either  veg- 
etables or  animals  had  any  existence 
on  the  earth.  During  these  six  days, 
or  periods,  the  Heavens  and  the  earth 
seemed  to  have  been  undergoing  a 
series  of  changes,  preparations,  and 
organizations,  preparatory  to  the  in- 
troduction of  animals  and  vegetables 
which  were  to  constitute  the  finishing 
or  ending  of  this  temporal  creation. 
But  when  were  the  animals  and  veg- 
etables formed  temporally,  and  placed 
on  the  earlh  ?     From  the  description 


*  Book  of  Abraham,  translated  from 
Egyptian  Papyrus  through  the  gift  and 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  by  Joseph  the 
Seer. 


given,  they  were  formed  out  of  the 
ground  during  the  seventh  day  or 
period. 

A  still  further  evidence,  that  the 
temporal  body  of  Man  was  formed  on 
the  seventh  day,  is  given  in  the  "Key 
to  the  Revelations  of  St.  John," 
which  was  revealed  to  Joseph  the 
Seer.  In  this  Key,  the  following 
question  is  asked  :  "  What  are  we  to 
understand  by  the  sounding  of  the 
trumpets,  mentioned  in  the  8th  chap, 
ter  of  the  Revelations  ?  "  T'ue  Lord 
answered  the  question  as  follows: — 
"  We  are  to  understand  that  as  God 
made  the  world  in  six  days,  and  on 
the  seventh  day  he  finished  his  work, 
and  sanctified  it,  and  also  formed  Man 
out  of  the  dust  of  the  earth;  even  so,  in 
the  beginning  of  the  seventh  thousand 
years  will  the  Lord  God  sanctify  the 
earth,  and  complete  the  salvation  of 
man,  and  judge  all  things,  and  shall  re- 
deem all  things,  except  that  which  he 
hath  not  put  into  his  power,  when  he 
shall  have  sealed  all  things,  unto  the 
end  of  all  things  :  and  the  sounding 
ui  the  trumpets  of  the  seven  angels, 
are  the  preparing  and  finishing  of  his 
work,  in  the  beginning  of  the  seventh 
thousand  years  ;  the  preparing  of  the 
way  before  the  time  of  his  coming." 

Here  we  are  plainly  told,  that  "God 
made  the  world  in  six  days,  and  on 
the  seventh  day  he  finished  his  work 
and  sanctified  it,  and  also  formed  Man 
out  of  the  dust  of  the  earth."  Man, 
therefore,  was  formed  out  of  the  dust, 
not  on  the  sixth  day,  but  on  the 
seventh. 

55.  As  the  tabernacle  of  Adam 
was  formed  out  of  the  dust  on  the 
seventh  day,  so  were  the  tabernacles 
of  every  species  of  animals,  birds, 
and  fish,  together  with  every  variety 
of  vegetables,  all  formed  on  the  sev- 
enth day.  This  idea  is  clearly  re- 
vealed in  Joseph  Smith's  inspired 
translation  of  the  second  chapter  of 
Genesis,  from  which  we  have  al- 
ready made  an  extract  in  the  18th 
paragraph  ;  by  reference  to  which  it 
will  be  seen  that  Man  was  "  the  first 
flesh  upon  the  earth,  the  first  Man 
also,"  and  as  he  was  made  on  the 
seventh  day  or  period,  all  the   rest 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


69 


must  have  been  made  on  the  seventh. 
The  garden  was  planted  on  the  sev. 
enth,  and  Man  was  placed  in  the 
garden  on  the  seventh.  Every  beast 
and  fowl  was  made  out  of  the  ground 
and  brought  to  Adam  to  be  named  on 
the  seventh  day.  Eve  also  was  made 
out  of  one  of  his  ribs  on  the  seventh 
day.  All  the  grass,  and  herbs,  and 
trees,  according  to  their  kinds,  were 
made  to  grow  out  of  the  ground  on 
the  seventh  day  or  time.  And  before 
the  seventh  day  there  was  no  vege- 
table or  animal  existence  on  our 
earth.  Even  the  English  version, 
or  the  uninspired  translation  of  the 
2nd  chapter  of  Genesis,  conveys  the 
same  idea,  namely,  that  the  man  was 
made  first,  and  afterwards  the  ani- 
mals and  vegetables,  and  that  all 
these  organized  living  beings  were 
made  naturally,  out  of  the  ground,  on 
the  seventh  day.  The  first  chapter 
of  Genesis,  so  far  as  these  living 
beings  are  concerned,  is  only  a  his- 
tory of  their  spiritual  creation  as  we 
have  explained  in  a  former  part  of 
this  treatise. 

56.  What  was  the  length  of  each 
of  those  periods,  called  days  in  the 
history  of  the  creation?  Revelation 
has  not  definitely  answered  this  ques- 
tion. But  from  what  is  revealed,  we 
may  infer  that  time  was  not  reckoned 
in  relation  to  the  events  of  creation, 
in  the  same  manner  as  it  is  now. 
We  are  not  sure  that  the  earth  was 
made  to  revolve  on  it  axis  in  the 
period  that  it  does  now.  If  the  earth 
had,  at  the  first  formation,  a  swifter 
rotation  than  at  present,  then  a  part 
of  the  waters  which  are  now  around 
the  two  polar  regions,  would,  by  the 
centrifugal  force,  have  overspread  the 
equatorial  regions,  and  the  whole 
solid  nucleus  of  the  earth  would  have 
been  immersed  in  the  great  deep. 
This  was  the  condition  of  our  globe, 
during  the  first  two  days  of  the  crea- 
tion. But  on  the  third  day,  the 
waters  were  gathered  together,  and 
the  dry  land  or  the  solid  portions  of 
the  earth  appeared.  This  could  all 
have  been  accomplished  by  merely 
checking  the  velocity  of  the  earth's 
rotation,    which     would    cause    the 


equatorial  ocean  to  flow  into  the  po- 
lar regions,  leaving  an  equatorial 
continent  of  dry  land.  But  the  ve- 
locity of  the  earth's  rotation  would 
have  to  be  greatly  diminished  below 
its  present  standard  in  order  to  pro- 
duce an  equatorial  zone  of  dry  land, 
encircling  the  whole  globe.  If  the 
earth  should  rotate  upon  its  axis  once 
in  a  thousand  of  our  present  years, 
such  a  zone  would  necessarily  be 
produced,  unless  prevented  by  oppos- 
ing causes  :  the  length  of  each  day 
may  have  been  regulated  by  the  dif- 
ferent periods  of  rotation  ;  and  these 
periods  may  have  been  much  shorter 
or    longer    than     at    present.     And 

again,  the  alternations   of  light  and 

©      7  © 

darkness  for  the  first  three  days,  do 
not  appear  to  have  been  regulated  by 
the  sun,  therefore  they  may  have 
been  of  much  longer  or  shorter  dura- 
tion than  what  we  behold  at  present. 
There  is  a  clause  in  the  Book  of 
Abraham,  from  which  we  may  infer, 
that  the  length  of  each  of  these  days 
was  one  thousand  years  as  the  in- 
habitants of  the  earth  afterwards 
reckoned  time.  In  speaking  of  the 
curse  which  should  fall  upcn  Adam 
in  case  he  should  partake  of  the  for- 
bidden fruit,  the  Gods  said,  "  For  in 
the  time  that  thou  eatest  thereof, 
thou  shalt  surely  die.  Now  I,  Abra- 
ham, saw  that  it  was  after  the  Lord's 
time,  which  was  after  the  time  of 
Kolob ;  for  as  yet  the  Gods  had  not 
appointed  unto  Adam  his  reckoning." 
The  time  on  Kolob,  as  given  in  the 
Book  of  Abraham,  may  be  under- 
stood from  the  following  extract : — 
"  Kolob,  signifying  the  first  creation, 
nearest  to  the  celestial,  or  the  resi- 
dence of  God.  First  in  government, 
the  last  pertaining  to  the  measure- 
ment of  time.  The  measurement, 
according  to  celestial  time  ;  which 
celestial  time  signifies  one  day  to  a 
cubit.  One  day  in  Kolob  is  equal  to 
a  thousand  years,  according  to  the 
measurement  of  this  earth,  which  is 
called  by  the  Egyptians,  Jah-oh-eh." 
One  day  of  celestial  time,  or  of  the 
Lord's  time,  is  equal  to  one  thousand 
years,  according  to  our  measurement 
of  time.     Adam,  therefore,  if  he  par- 


70 


THE   PRE-EXFSTENCE    OF   MAN. 


took  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  was  to  die 
within  a  thousand  years.  It  is  pos- 
sible that  the  seven  days  of  creation 
were  reckoned,  according  to  celestial 
time  ;  if  so,  the  whole  period  must 
have  been  seven  thousand  years.  If 
Adam  were  made  at  the  beginning  of 
the  seventh  period,  he  must  have 
lived  till  near  its  close.  There  is, 
however,  no  certainty  how  long  these 
periods  were. 

57.  The  Heaven,  earth, animals,  ve- 
getables, and  all  things,  pertaining  to 
this  creation,  being  finished,  the  Lord 
pronounced  the  whole  "very  good." 
Sorrow,  misery,  sickness,  pain,  and 
death,  were  unknown.  Immortality 
was  enstamped  upon  man  and  the 
whole  animal  kingdom.  If  any  living 
creature,  had  been  subject  to  death, 
or  any  manner  of  pain,  it  would  not 
have  been  perfect  in  its  organization; 
it  could  not  have  been  pronounced 
good ;  neither  would  it  have  been 
consistent,  as  the  work  of  an  all-wise 
and  supremely  good  Being.  Perfec- 
tion characterizes  all  the  works  of 
God,  therefore,  all  the  tabernacles 
which  he  made  from  the  dust,  must 
have  been  capable  of  eternal  endu- 
rance. There  must  have  been  some- 
thing connected  with  these  fleshly 
tabernacles  which  was  capable  of 
preserving  them  in  immortality. 
What  was  this  something  ?  It  was 
doubtless  a  fluid  which  circulated 
through  the  system  in  every  part 
thereof,  preserving  it  from  decay,  and 
from  being  impaired  by  age,  renew- 
ing, if  necessary,  any  part  thereof, 
that  disease,  sickness,  pain,  and  death, 
could  have  no  dominion.  The  circu- 
lating apparatus  for  the  conveyance 
of  this  fluid,  was,  no  doubt,  the  veins 
and  arteries,  as  they  extend  forth  in 
innumerable  branches,  and  in  minute 
ramifications  to  every  extremity  of  the 
organization.  The  fluid,  now  circu- 
lating  through  this  apparatus,  is  the 
blood  :  but  the  blood  does  not  renew 
our  systems  and  give  immortality  to 
our  present  bodies  ;  blood  is  our  nat- 
ural life  as  the  Lord  said  to  Noah  : — 
"Flesh  with  the  life  thereof,  which  is 
the  blood  thereof,  shall  ye  not  eat." 
(Gen.  9:  4.)     Blood,  instead  of  im- ' 


parting  eternal  life  to  the  system,  only 
imparts  a  natural  or  temporal  life,  and 
contains  within  itself  all  the  ingre- 
dients of  decay  and  death  or  dissolu- 
tion. It  is  reasonable  to  suppose, 
then,  that  a  fluid  of  a  more  refined 
and  life-giving  nature,  flowed  through 
the  bodily  organizations  of  our  first 
Parents,  and  all  the  other  animal 
creation — that  this  fluid  was  the  life- 
preserving  agent,  that  imparted  im- 
mortality to  all  flesh,  so  long  as  they 
retained  it  in  their  systems.  As  this 
fluid  could  not  have  been  blood  which 
contains  the  seeds  of  death,  What 
kind  of  substance  was  it  1  We  reply, 
that  it  must  have  been  a  spiritual 
substance  or  fluid,  which  is  the  only 
kind  of  substance  capable  of  preserv- 
ing any  organization  in  immortality. 
Were  there  any  trees,  or  fruits,  or 
vegetables  of  any  kind  which  the 
Lord  had  planted,  that  were  calcula- 
ted, if  eaten,  to  counteract,  or  subvert 
the  operations  of  this  spiritual  fluid, 
and  introduce  into  the  system  a  fluid 
of  a  different  nature  1  There  was 
only  one  tree  which  would  produce 
these  deleterious  effects — only  one 
tree  whose  fruit,  if  taken  into  the  sys- 
tem, would  change  it  from  immortal- 
ity to  mortality — all  other  fruits  and 
vegetables  were  so  constructed  as  to 
produce  no  harm  ;  hence  they  were 
the  only  food  which  God  gave  to  the 
immortal  animals  which  he  placed 
upon  this  earth.  We  may  suppose 
that  the  vegetable  creation,  with  the 
exception  of  this  one  tree,  contained, 
at  that  time,  no  poisons — no  ingre- 
dients of  decay  and  death — no  inju- 
rious combinations  unadapted  to  im- 
mortal flesh  and  bones.  The  bodies 
of  Adam  and  Eve,  and  of  all  the  fish, 
fowls,  and  beasts  which  God  made 
directly  out  of  the  dust,  would  have 
been  still  living  as  fresh  and  as  fair 
as  when  they  first  came  from  the  hand 
of  their  Maker,  if  Adam  had  not  par- 
taken of  the  forbidden  fruit.  All 
other  fruits  were  good  for  them,  and 
they  might  have  feasted  upon  <hpm  to 
all  eternity  without  destroying  the 
immortality  of  their  bodies. 

58.  Let  us  next  inquire,  Whether 
Michael,  after  taking  a  tabernacle  un- 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


71 


der  the  name  of  Adam,  lost  or  forgot 
any  of  his  previous  knowledge  ?  It  is 
quite  evident  that  Michael,  when  he 
had  charge  of  the  armies  in  Heaven, 
must  have  known  good  and  evil,  to 
some  extent,  at  least;  for  if  he  were 
ignorant  of  good  and  evil,  he  could 
not  have  received  any  merit  for  keep- 
ing his  first  estate.  If  he  did  not  un- 
derstand the  nature  of  evil,  he  would 
not  have  fought  against  one-third  part 
of  the  hosts  of  Heaven  for  doing  evil. 
If  Michael  stood  forth  as  a  bold  cham- 
pion for  the  rights  of  his  brethren, 
and  for  that  which  was  good,  he  must 
have  understood  the  nature  of  good. 
If  spirits,  in  their  first  estate,  did  not 
know  good  from  evil,  Why  were  they 
thrust  down  and  bound  with  "ever- 
lasting chains  of  darkness  "  for  doing 
that  which  they  did  not  know  to  be 
evil?  Would  any  parent,  here  in 
this  world,  banish  his  children  ever- 
lastingly from  his  presence,  without 
any  hopes  of  recovery,  for  doing 
those  things  which  they  did  not  know 
to  be  evil?  Our  hearts  would  revolt 
at  the  very  idea  of  such  injustice  in 
an  earthly  parent.  Shall  we  then 
represent  God  as  more  unjust  than 
man  ?  Shall  we  say  that  he  will 
punish  with  everlasting  punishment 
the  rebellious  angels  without  a  suffi- 
cient cause  ?  Shall  he  doom  them  to 
endless  misery  for  acts  which  they 
did  not  know  to  be  evil  ?  It  is  evi- 
dent, then,  that  the  angels  in  their 
first  estate  knew  good  and  evil;  and 
therefore,  were  subjects  of  reward 
and  punishment  for  their  acts.  But 
when  Adam  was  placed  in  the  Gar- 
den, he  did  not  know  good  and  evil; 
therefore,  the  knowledge  which  he 
once  was  in  possession  of,  in  regard 
to  good  and  evil,  was  lost  and  forgot- 
ten.  To  what  extent  he  had  lost  the 
knowledge  of  other  subjects,  we  are 
not  informed.  It  is  very  probable 
that  he  remembered  nothing  in  rela- 
tion to  the  events  which  transpired  in 
his  previous  state.  Possessing  an 
intelligent  spirit  capable  of  being  in- 
structed, he,  doubtless,  received  in- 
formation by  the  immediate  inspira- 
tion of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  from 
God,   Himself,  who  was   personally 


with  him.  He  had  sufficient  intelli- 
gence imparted  to  him,  to  give  names 
to  all  beasts,  and  cattle,  and  the  fowls 
of  the  air,  when  the  Lord  brought 
them  unto  him;  he  had  intelligence 
enough  to  know  that  Eve  was  made 
from  one  of  his  ribs  ;  hence,  he  said 
"This  is  now  bone  of  my  bones,  and 
flesh  of  my  flesh  :  she  shall  be  called 
Woman,  because  she  was  taken  out 
of  man."  God  imparted  to  him  a 
language  by  which  to  express  his 
ideas.  It  is  not  at  all  likely  that  Adam 
acquired  the  knowledge  of  the  lan- 
guage which  he  used,  in  his  spiritual 
state.  Though  spirits  make  use  of 
language,  it  is  very  probable  that 
their  ideas  are  not  conveyed  by  sounds 
through  the  medium  of  an  atmosphere 
similar  to  ours.  Their  communica- 
tions to  one  another  are  through  signs 
and  media  adapted  to  a  spiritual  state 
and  a  spiritual  world:  while  our  ver- 
bal communications  are  by  sounds, 
conveyed  through  the  air.  The  lan- 
guage, therefore,  which  Adam  spake 
must  have  been  given  to  him  by  the 
immediate  inspiration  of  the  Almighty, 
the  same  as  he  gave  a  variety  of 
tongues  to  the  people  who  were  build- 
ing the  tower.  The  same  power  that 
gave  him  the  language,  gave  to  him 
the  ideas  expressed  by  the  language. 
Therefore,  we  may  reasonably  believe 
that  when  the  spirit  of  Michael  en- 
tered his  tabernacle  he  was  deprived 
of  all  his  previous  knowledge,  not 
only  in  relation  to  good  and  evil,  but 
in  relation  to  all  other  subjects,  and 
that  all  the  knowledge  he  acquired 
previous  to  his  fall,  was  obtained  by 
observation,  reflection,  and  immediate 
inspiration:  that  he  had  to  lay  aside 
his  former  information  and  begin  at 
the  first  principles  of  knowledge  and 
ascend  by  degrees  from  truth  to  truth 
until  he  should  regain  all  the  light  and 
intelligence  he  possessed  in  the  spirit 
world,  and  even  more,  inasmuch  as 
he  was  placed  in  a  condition  to  learn 
things  by  experience  that  could  not 
have  been  learned  in  the  spiritual  ex- 
istence. 

59.  Why  was  man  deprived  of  all 
his  former  knowledge  when  he  left 
the  spirit  world  and  came  here  ?     It 


72 


THE   PRE-EXISTENCE   OF   MAW. 


was  in  order  that  he  might  have  a 
second  trial  or  probation  under  new 
circumstances  and  conditions  to  which 
he  had  not  previously  been  subject. 
If  he  had  entered  this  world,  retain- 
ing his  previous  knowledge,  many 
things  which  would  be  a  trial  to  one, 
possessing  a  small  degree  of  informa- 
tion, would  have  been  no  trial  to  him, 
and  many  temptations  which  would 
not  overcome  one  who  had  been 
faithfully  tried  through  every  succes- 
sive grade  of  knowledge  from  its  first 
principles  upwards,  would  prevail 
against,  and  completely  triumph  over 
a  man  who  had  great  knowledge  but 
yet,  had  never  been  tried  and  learn- 
ed by  experience  the  necessity  of  re- 
sisting temptation  through  all  the  dif- 
ferent grades  or  degrees  of  intelli- 
gence from  the  first  principles  there- 
of.  Man  therefore,  had  taken  from 
him  his  past  knowledge,  in  order  that 
he  might  begin  again,  under  a  new 
set  of  circumstances  and  show  him- 
self  approved  or  disapproved  for  his 
use  of  every  degree  of  light  and  truth 
that  should  be  imparted  to  him.  The 
condemnation  of  man  is  in  proportion 
to  the  degree  of  light  and  truth  under 
which  he  transgresses.  If  he  came 
here  with  all  the  knowledge  he  had 
in  the  spirit  world,  and  yet,  being  in- 
experienced in  regard  to  many  temp- 
tations which  would  beset  his  path- 
way in  this  life,  he  would  be  as  like- 
ly to  be  overcome  as  one  having  less 
knowledge,  and,  therefore,  would  be 
in  greater  danger  of  coming  under  a 
heavier  penalty.  It  was  wisdom, 
therefore,  that  man  should  lose,  in 
his  second  estate,  his  former  informa- 
tion, that  he  might  be  strengthened 
by  degrees,  and  learn,  little  by  little, 
how  to  overcome  his  imperlections 
and  resist  all  evil. 

60.  If  man  had  descended  from 
the  spirit  world  and  had  taken  flesh 
and  bones  with  all  his  previous 
knowledge,  and  had  not  been  tried 
under  these  new  circumstances,  his 
Father  could  not,  with  confidence, 
have  entrusted  him  with  the  bless 
ings,  authority,  and  power  which  he 
designed  to  bestow  upon  him  in  a  fu- 
ture state  ;   for  a  being  that  has  not 


been  tried  in  all  things  may  not  en- 
dure the  trials,  if  they  should  at  any 
time  come  upon  him.  It  is  better 
that  he  should  fall  in  a  state  of  par- 
tial ignorance,  than  to  fall  after  be- 
ing entrusted  with  power ;  for,  in  the 
latter  case,  he  would,  not  only  injure 
himself,  but  injure  all  those  over 
whom  he  had  control.  It  is  for  this 
reason,  that  man  is  tempted  and  tried 
in  all  things,  through  all  the  succes- 
sive degrees  of  knowledge  from  the 
first  principles  thereof  until  he  re- 
ceives a  fulness  of  truth  and  knows 
all  things,  and  then  he  is  entrusted 
with  all  power,  and  all  beings  will 
have  full  confidence  in  him  ;  but  if 
any  temptation  prevail  against  him, 
and  overcome  him,  he  is  not  entrust- 
ed will  all  knowledge  and  power,  and 
therefore  cannot  inherit  the  fulness 
of  ihe  Father's  glory. 

61.  Man  being  without  the  knowl- 
edge of  good  and  evil  would  be  in  a  state 
of  innocence  ;    and  being   immortal, 
not  subject  to  pain  or  death,  he  would 
be   entirely  ignorant  concerning    the 
nature  of  pain  or  misery  ;  it  could  not 
be  described    to    him,    so  as  to  con- 
vey to  his  mind   the   least  idea  of  its 
nature.     Nothing  short    of  suffering 
pain  could  impart  to  him  a  knowledge 
respecting  it.     As  a  blind    man  who 
has    never  seen   light   or    color   can 
form  no   conception  of  its  nature,  or 
as  as  a  deaf  person  who  has  never 
heard   sound,   is  entirely  ignorant  of 
the  nature  of  sound,  so  likewise  Adam 
and  Eve  could   never   form   the  most 
distant  idea  of  pain   or   misery,  with- 
out experiencing  in  their  own  persons 
this  curious  sensation.     A  knowledge 
of  pain  never  could  have  been  derived 
from  the  reasoning   faculties,  neither 
could  they  have   derived   it  from   ob- 
servation,  for  there  was   no  creature 
upon  the   earth  which  suffered  pain  ; 
and  even  if  they  could  have  been  per- 
mitted to  observe  other  beings  endu- 
ring pain,  it  could  not   have  imparted 
the  idea  to  them  ;    hence   if  they  had 
lived  eternally  they  never  would  have 
gained  this  knowledge  only  by  suffer- 
ing it  themselves. 

(To  be  continued.) 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


73 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 

(Continued.) 

That  this  divine  institution  was  I  private  members  and  all  the  church 
practiced  under  the  Christian  dispen-  were  limited  to  one,  Paul's  instruc- 
sation,  is  still  further  evident,  not  only  I  tion  for  the  bishops  and  deacons  to  be 


from  the  foregoing  reasons,  but  from 
the  instructions  which  Paul  gave  to 
Timothy  and  Titus,  concerning  Bis. 


the  husbands  of  one  wife  would  have 
been  altogether  unnecessary.  If  there 
were  no  such  practice  prevailing  in 


hops   and   Deacons.       He    says   "  A   the  Christian  Church,  instead  of  con- 


bishop,  then  must  be  blameless,  the 
husband  of  one  wife,  vigilant,  sober, 
of  good  behaviour,  given  to  hospitality, 
apt  to  teach."  (1  Tim.  3:  2.)  "Let 
the  deacons  be  the  husbands  of  one 
wife,  ruling  their  children  and  their 
own  houses  well."  (Verse  12.)  "If 
any  be  blameless,  the  husband  of  one 
wife,  having  faithful  children  not  ac 


fining  these  officers  to  one  wife,  he 
would  have  required  them  to  receive 
no  person  into  the  church  who  had 
more  than  one.  The  very  expres- 
sion, "The  bishop  must  be  the  hus- 
band of  one  wife"  is  a  strong  indica- 
tion that  there  were  many  in  the 
church  who  were  the  husbands  of 
more  than  one  ;  and  on  this  account 


cused  of  riot  or  unruly.  For  a  bishop  it  was  necessary  that  Timothy  and 
must  be  blameless,  as  the  steward  I  Titus  should  receive  instructions  in 
of  God."  (Titus  1:  6,  7.)  There  regard  to  their  selections  for  ordina- 
are  two  different  meanings  frequently  ;  tion.      Any   person   can   see   that   if 


attached  to  these  passages  :  First,  It 
is  supposed  that  Paul  intended  to  pro- 
hibit all  single  or  unmarried  men 
from  being  entrusted  with  the  offices 
of  bishop  and  deacon  ;  that  he  re- 
quired that  they  should  be  married, 
at  least,  to  one  wife,  as  a  prerequisite 
to  ordination.  By  those  who  take 
this  view  of  the  subject,  it  is  believed, 
that  a  man  must,  as  Paul  says,  "first 
be  proved"  by  marrying  at  least  one 
wife,  ruling  "well  his  own  house, 
having  his  children  in  subjection  ; 
(for  if  a  man  know  not  how  to  rule 
his  own  house"  says  Paul,  "  how  shall 
he  take  care  of  the  church  of  God?") 
If  this  view  of  the  subject  be  correct, 
then  Paul  did  not  intend  to  limit  the 
bishop  or  deacon  to  one  wife,  but 
merely  intended  to  show  that  he  must, 
as  a  qualification,  be  married,  or  must 
be  the  husband  of  one  wife,  before  he 
could  be  ordained  to  either  of  those 
offices.  Second,  It  is  supposed  by 
many  that  these  offices  were  not  to 
be  conferred  upon  those  who  had  more 
than  one  wife.  If  this  view  of  the 
subject  be  correct,  (and  it  evidently 
appears  to  be  the  true  meaning  of  the 
passages,)  then,  it  is  very  certain 
that  there  were  many  in  the  church 
who  had  more   than  one  ;  for  if  the 


there  were  no  such  practice  allowed 
in  the  church,  Paul  never  would  have 
mentioned  this  particular  qualification 
to  be  observed  in  the  selections  to  be 
made  from  the  members  of  the  church. 
If  there  were  no  members  who  had  a 
plurality  there  would  have  been  no 
danger  of  Timothy's  selecting  a  Poly- 
gamist  for  a  bishop  ;  hence  the  in- 
struction would  have  been  entirely 
useless.  Suppose  a  minister  in  Eng- 
land were  to  write  to  his  brother 
minister  in  London  concerning  ordi- 
nations, and  should  instruct  him  to 
select  such  persons  from  his  congre- 
gation for  the  office  of  Deacon  as 
were  not  slave-holders,  or  that  the 
deacons  must  be  the  owners  of  one 
slave  only.  Would  not  such  instruc- 
tion in  England  be  entirely  uncalled 
for?  And  would  not  the  individual 
who  wrote  such  instruction  be  con- 
sidered deranged  ?  Where  slaves  do 
not  exist  such  instruction  never  would 
be  given-  So  likewise,  if  the  plural- 
ity of  wives  did  not  exist  in  the  Christ- 
ian Church,  Paul  never  would  have 
been  so  foolish  as  to  have  cautioned 
Timothy  in  regard  to  the  selections 
which  he  made  from  the  members  of 
that  church.  This,  therefore,  is  an- 
other corroberative  testimony  that  the 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


plurality  doctrine  was  allowed  under 
the  Christian  dispensation. 

But  if  the  private  members  in  the 
Christian  Church  were  permitted  to 
have  more  than  one  wife,  why  not 
also  the  bishops  and  deacons  1  Paul 
has  not  given  us  the  reason.  It  is 
quite  probable,  that  the  principal  rea- 
son was  that  the  important  duties  de- 
volving upon  these  offices  required 
them  to  be  as  free  from  other  cares 
as  possible.  Or  as  Paul  says,  in  an- 
other place,  "I  would  have  you  with- 
out carefulness.  He  that  is  unmar- 
ried careth  for  the  things  that  belong 
to  the  Lord,  how  he  may  please  the 
Lord  :  but  he  that  is  married  careth 
for  the  things  that  are  of  the  world 
how  he  may  please  his  wife."  (1 
Cor.  7  :  32,  33.)  Paul  knew  this  to 
be  the  general  disposition  of  mankind, 
and  he  knew  that  there  were  but  a 
very  few  men  to  be  found  who  would 
sacrifice  houses  and  lands,  wives  and 
children,  and  everything  else  of  an 
earthly  nature  for  the  sake  of  the 
gospel,  therefore,  he  no  doubt  wrote 
his  instructions  to  Timothy  to  select 
those  among  the  church  members 
who  had  but  one  wife,  as  they  would 
be  much  more  free  from  care  than 
those  who  had  several  wives  and 
children  depending  on  them  for  their 
support.  Neither  Paul  nor  any  of  the 
other  apostles  has  ever  represented 
the  plurality  of  wives  to  be  sinful  or 
evil  in  the  sight  of  God.  We  do  not 
find  the  principle  condemned  either 
in  the  Old  or  in  the  New  Testament. 
When  Paul  recommended  Timothy  to 
select  from  among  the  Saints  those 
that  had  but  one  wife,  he  does  not 
give  the  most  distant  intimation  that 
those  officers  were  thus  limited,  be- 
cause to  have  more  than  one  would 
be  sinful.  It  was  only  a  matter  of 
expediency  that  they  might  be  free 
from  the  cares  of  a  large  family. 
There  were  many  practices  that  cir- 
cumstances required  the  servants  of 
God  to  dispense  with,  not  because 
they  were  sinful  in  themselves,  but 
merely  to  comply  with  surrounding 
customs.  For  instance,  it  was  not 
sinful  to  eat  meat  offered  to  idols,  and 
yet  for  fear  that  some  weak  brother 


should  be  emboldened  to  follow  the 
example  and  eat  with  conscience  to 
the  idol,  and  thus  offend  God,  it  be- 
came a  matter  of  wisdom  to  dispense 
with  the  practice  ;  hence,  Paul  says, 
"  If  meat  make  my  brother  to  offend, 
I  will  eat  no  flesh  while  the  world 
standeth,  lest  I  make  my  brother  to 
offend."  (1  Cor.,  8:  13.)  Paul 
gave  instructions  in  many  things, 
suited  to  circumstances  :  hence,  we 
find  him  in  one  epistle,  saying,  "  to 
the  unmarried  and  widows,  it  is  good 
for  them,  if  they  abide  even  as  I." 
And  again,  "Art  thou  loosed  from  a 
a  wife?  seek  not  a  wife."  (1  Cor., 
7  :  8,  27.)  And  in  another  epistle 
he  writes  thus :  "  I  will  therefore 
that  the  younger  women  marry,  bear 
children,  guide  the  house,  give  none 
occasion  to  the  adversary  to  speak 
reproachfully."  (1  Tim.,  5:  14.) 
The  cause  of  these  apparently  oppo- 
site instructions,  arose  from  surround- 
ing circumstances.  The  Corinthians 
had  fallen  into  many  evils.  Divi- 
sions, contentions,  fornications,  bro- 
ther going  to  law  with  brother,  and 
various  other  evils  existed  among 
them.  Under  these  influences,  Paul 
was  fearful  to  have  those  in  that 
church  who  were  faithful,  marry,  lest 
they  should  get  wicked  companions 
that  would  lead  them  away  to  de- 
struction. Therefore,  he  gave  the 
instructions  above  quoted.  But  in 
other  churches  where  such  evils  did 
not  exist,  it  was  his  will  that  they 
should  marry.  Teachings  were  va- 
ried to  different  churches  as  existing 
conditions  required.  Circumstances 
required  Timothy  to  select  from 
among  the  Saints  those  that  had  but 
one  wife  to  perform  the  important 
duties  of  Bishop  and  Deacon.  If  the 
Saints  had  been  less  coveteous  and 
willing  to  sacrifice  all  things  as  the 
apostles  did  at  first,  there  would  have 
been  no  necessity  for  this  instruction. 
Bishops  and  Deacons  might  have 
been  taken  of  those  Saints  who  had 
many  wives,  and  they  would  have 
freely  left  all  for  the  gospel's  sake  ; 
but  for  the  want  of  such  whole- 
hearted men,  Paul  had  to  suit  his  in- 
structions accordingly.     Among  the 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


75 


various  qualifications  which  Timothy 
was  required  to  observe  in  selecting 
men  for  Bishops,  Paul  says,  "  More- 
over he  must  have  a  good  report  of 
them  which  are  without ;  lest  he  fall 
into  reproach"  (1  Tim.,  3:  7-) 
Did  Paul  give  these  instructions  be- 
cause he  considered  it  a  sin  to  be  re- 
proached by  those  who  were  without  ? 
Did  he  consider  it  a  sin  to  have  an 
evil  report  from  them  who  were  not 
in  the  church  ?  These  were  certainly 
not  the  views  of  Paul ;  for  he,  him- 
self had  been  spoken  evil  of  and  re- 
proached wherever  he  went.  Jesus 
says,  "Blessed  are  ye  when  men 
shall  hate  you,  and  when  they  shall 
separate  you  from  their  company,  and 
shall  reproach  you,  and  cast  out  your 
name  as  evil,  for  the  Son  of  Man's 
sake.  Rejoice  ye  in  that  day  and 
leap  for  joy:  for,  behold,  your  reward 
is  great  in  Heaven  ;  for  in  like  man- 
ner did  their  fathers  unto  the  pro- 
phets." "  Woe  unto  you,  when  all 
men  shall  speak  well  of  you  !  for  so 
did  their  fathers  to  the  false  prophets." 
(Luke  6  :  22,  23,  26.)  "  If  they  have 
called  the  master  of  the  house  Beel- 
zebub, how  much  more  shall  they  call 
them  of  his  household?"  (Matthew, 
10  :  25.)  Peter  says,  "If  ye  be  re- 
proached for  the  name  of  Christ,  hap- 
py are  ye."  (1  Peter  4  :  14.)  But 
why  was  Timothy  instructed  to  select 
for  the  office  of  Bishop  such  as  had 
"a  good  report  of  them  which  are 
without,  lest  he  fall  into  reproach  ?" 
Was  it  because  all  others  in  the 
church  were  sinners?  Was  it  be- 
cause  none  who  were  reproached  and 
spoken  evil  of  for  Christ's  sake  were 
qualified  for  the  office  of  Bishop? 
Was  it  because  God  condemned  all 
those  whom  the  world  condemned  ? 
No  :  it  was  for  none  of  these  causes 
that  Paul  gave  this  instruction  ;  it 
was  merely  as  a  matter  of  expediency: 
there  were  others,  no  doubt,  who  were 
more  righteous  in  the  sight  of  God, 
and  better  qualified  for  the  office  of 
Bishop  whom  the  world  hated  and  re- 
proached and  spake  all  manner  of  evil 
against.  Yet  Paul,  for  some  reason, 
considered  it  best  to  select  such  as  the 
world   spake    well    of.      His    object 


might  have  been  to  allay  the  spirit  of 
persecution  which  was  then  raging 
among  those  who  were  without.  His 
instructions  were  suited  to  surround- 
ing circumstances  in  regard  to  this,  as 
in  relation  to  their  being  the  hus- 
bands of  one  wife.  It  was  no  more 
sinful  to  be  the  husband  of  a  plurality 
of  wives,  than  it  was  to  be  reproached 
and  have  an  evil  report  from  them 
who  were  without.  In  the  first  his 
object  was  to  have  the  Bishops  free 
from  the  multiplied  cares  of  a  large 
family,  and  in  ihe  second  to  allay  the 
hostilities  of  the  enemy,  by  selecting 
those  who  were  of  good  report  among 
them. 

We  should  be  pleased  to  have  some 
of  the  wise  theologians  of  our  day 
bring  forward  even  one  passage  from 
either  the  Old  or  New  Testament  to 
prove  that  the  plurality  of  wives  is 
an  evil.  Let  them  produce  some 
passage,  if  they  can,  to  show  that 
such  a  practice  was  sinful  either  un- 
der the  Patriarchal,  Mosaic,  or  Chris- 
tian dispensations.  Let  them  show 
that  the  practice  was  not  continued 
under  the  Christian  dispensation. 
Where  and  when  did  our  Saviour 
ever  condemn  it?  Where  and  when 
did  any  of  his  Apostles  ever  condemn 
it  ?  Here,  then,  ye  ministers  of 
Christendom,  are  some  grave  ques- 
tions for  you  to  settle.  Would  you 
convert  the  "Mormons"  of  Utah  Ter- 
ritory from  this  practice,  show  them 
that  it  is  sinful  or  unscriptural.  No 
sooner  was  it  sounded  abroad  through 
the  columns  of  the  Seer  that  the 
Saints  in  Utah  believed  in  and  prac- 
ticed the  plurality  of  wives,  than  the 
whole  army  of  editors  and  ministers 
throughout  Christendom  formed  them- 
selves in  battle  array ;  the  thunder  of 
their  artillery  is  heard  reverberating 
from  nation  to  nation,  as  though  they 
would  annihilate  the  poor  citizens  of 
Utah  with  one  tremendous  onslaught. 
Curses,  denunciations,  and  ridicule, 
are  poured  out  like  a  flood  upon  their 
heads.  The  whole  English  vocabu- 
lary  is  exhausted  to  find  epithets  and 
reproaches  sufficiently  expressive  of 
their  holy  horror.  But  in  this  holy 
war  where  is  the  editor  or  minister 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


that  can  brandish  the  sword  of  truth 
against    that    which    he    condemns  ? 
Where   is  the   theological  Goliah  of 
modern  Christendom  that  can  stand 
before   the   sling   stones   of  truth   as 
they  are  hurled  by  the  power  of  Is- 
rael's God  into  the  midst  of  the  ene- 
my's camp  ?     Denunciations  are  not 
arguments — curses      and      vile     re- 
proaches will  not  convince  the  judg- 
ment nor  enlighten  mankind — Editors 
and    ministers    will    find   some    wise 
men  yet  left   on   the  earth  who  are 
not  afraid  of  the  Bible  nor  of  Bible 
truths :   by  that   sacred  volume   they 
will    form    their  judgment,    and    not 
upon  popular  traditions   nor  the   de- 
nunciations   of    the    bigoted.      Wise 
men  of  Babylon  wonder — editors  are 
astonished — ministers  are  amazed — 
priestcraft  trembles  to   its  very  cen- 
tre— and   the   Devil   and    his   angels 
are  mad  to  think  that   after  all  their 
united  exertions  to  put  a  stop  to  the 
spread  of  this  "awful  delusion''1  as  it 
is  denounced,  it  still  prospers  with  un- 
paralleled  success   among   every  na- 
tion to  which   it  has  been  published. 
How  is  it,  inquires  the   wise   states- 
men, that  such  a  bare-faced  imposi- 
tion  converts   its   tens    of  thousands 
annually  among   the    most   civilized 
nations  of  the  earth  1     What  is  the 
secret   of  its    prosperity?     We   will 
tell  you,   Mr.   Statesman,  there    are 
many  tens  of  thousands  of  honest  up. 
right  men  who,  in  despite  of  priest- 
craft, will  investigate  for  themselves, 
and  in  so  doing,  they  find  that  "  Mor- 
monism,"  which  is  called  by  editors 
and  ministers  a   "barefaced  imposi- 
tion," has  never  as  yet  been  proved 
to  be  such  — they  find  that  the  cry  of 
delusion  is  one  thing,  and  the  proof 
of  delusion   is   another,  they   reason 
within  themselves,  that  if  "  Mormon- 
ism"   is   such   a   "  base    imposition," 
why  has  not   some   giant  theologian 
been  able,  after  a  score  of  years,  to 
prove  it  to  be  such  ?     They  find  the 
world  flooded  with  books,  pamphlets, 
periodicals,  editors,  ministers,  mobs, 
and   murderers,  all  crying   "  beware 
of  Mormonism!"     "Beware  of  that 
soul-destroying    imposition!"     "Be- 
ware of  the  wicked,  beastly,  licenti- 


ous Mormons  !  !"  "Beware  of  Mor- 
mon Polygamy  !  !  !"  "  The  Mor- 
mons of  Utah  are  Polygamists  !  !  !" 
"O  awful!"  "O  horrible!"  "O 
abominable  !"  "  Who  could  have  be- 
lieved it!"  "Cannot  Gen.  Pierce 
do  something  to  put  a  stop  to  this 
dreadful  evil !"  "  To  avert  the  ca- 
lamities of  civil  war  the  Mormons 
should  be  made  to  obey  the  laws  !" 
Such  are  the  arguments,  Mr.  States- 
men, that  wise  and  candid  men  hear 
against  the  so-called  delusion.  They 
again  reflect  if  Mormonism  is  really 
such  a  dreadful  delusion,  and  if  a 
plurality  of  wives  is,  indeed,  so  sinful 
and  unscriptural,  why  are  not  some 
candid  arguments — some  scriptural 
evidences  forthcoming  to  convince 
the  judgment  and  enlighten  the  mind, 
and  to  show  the  nature  of  the  delu- 
sion, and  why,  and  wherein  it  is  a 
delusion  ?  Why,  say  they,  are  all 
these  denunciations  heaped  upon  the 
Latter-Day  Saints  without  one  logi- 
cal argument,  or  scriptural  evidence 
to  sustain  them  ? 

If  editors  and  ministers  wish  to  put 
a  stop  to  the  rolling  of  the  great 
wheels  of  "  Mormonism,"  we  advise 
them  to  try  another  plan.  You  have 
found  that  evil  epithets  and  the  cry  of 
Imposture,  have  been  tried  in  vain. 
Such  empty  trash  is  becoming  stale  ; 
it  is  not  received  as  evidence  by  a 
thinking  public.  They  do  not  gree- 
dily swallow  it  down  ;  they  want 
something  more  substantial.  Let 
theologians  back  up  their  cry  of  de- 
lusion by  good  sound  reasoning — by 
evidences  from  the  Word  of  God. 
Let  editors  and  authors,  for  once, 
show  themselves  men  of  sense  ;  let 
them,  for  once,  appeal  to  the  law  and 
testimony,  and  expose  "Mormonism" 
scripturally  ;  let  them,  for  once,  prove 
to  the  world  that  the  doctrines  of  the 
Latter  Day  Saints  are  false  ;  let  them 
show  from  the  Word  of  God  that  a  plu- 
rality of  wives  is  sinful  or  unscriptu- 
ral. If  they  will,  for  once,  adopt  this 
plan,  they  will  find  that  it  will  have 
more  weight  in  the  minds  of  an  intel- 
ligent thinking  public,  than  all  the 
ridicule,  vile  reproaches,  and  popular 
denunciations,  that  the  devil  can  in- 


CELESTML    MARRIAGE. 


77 


vent.  Try  it  and  see.  If  you  will 
prove  "•Mormonism"  to  be  a  delusion; 
if  you  will  show  by  the  Word  of  God 
that  a  plurality  of  wives  is  not  sanc- 
tioned under  the  gospel  as  it  was  un- 
der former  dispensations,  you  will 
greatly  enlighten  the  minds  of  the 
people  of  Utah.  Think  not  that  the 
descendants  of  the  pilgrim  fathers — 
the  intelligent  sons  and  daughters  of  i 
the  New  England  States — the  citi- 
zens of  this  great  Republic,  educated 
under  the  salutary  influence  of  Ame- 
rican institutions,  who  now  dwell  in 
exile  in  the  Mountain  Territory,  are 
so  lost  in  the  depths  of  barbarism — so 
engulphed  in  the  fatal  vortex  of  delu- 
sion— so  impenetrable  to  sound  argu- 
ments and  logical  reasoning — so  blind 
to  the  great  truths  contained  in  the 
Word  of  God,  that  they  are  beyond  all 
hopes  of  recovery.  At  least  make  the 
exertion  once;  convince  them  of  their 
errors  of  doctrine  or  errors  of  prac- 
tice. Let  missionaries  be  sent  among 
them;  they  shall  be  treated  with  the 
highest  respect;  meeting  houses  shall 
be  opened  to  them  free  of  all  expense; 
the  people  will  turn  out  by  tens  of 
thousands  to  hear  their  strong  reason- 
ings, and  if  they  are  able  to  prove 
"  Mormonism"  a  delusion,  they  will 
convert  the  great  majority  of  the  Ter- 
ritory. Here,  then,  is  a  splendid  field 
for  missionary  enterpiize.  But  let  us 
notify  you  to  send  men  who  are  not 
afraid  of  the  Word  of  God.  Let  men 
be  sent  who  will  make  no  denuncia- 
tions only  such  as  they  are  able  to 
prove  ;  for  the  inhabitants  of  Utah 
have  too  much  sense  to  be  thus  gulled 
and  duped  ;  they  have  too  much  expe- 
rience to  believe  all  that  missionaries 
and  editors  say  without  proof;  they 
have  too  much  honesty  and  desire  for 
the  truth  to  believe  a  thing  to  be  true 
or  untrue,  because  long  established 
customs  and  popularity  sanction  it. 
The  people  of  Utah  hear  and  then 
judge  ;  they  think  for  themselves  and 
do  not  hire  ministers  and  editors  to 
think  for  them.  Come,  then,  you 
missionary  societies  whose  bosoms 
yearn  over  the  dark  and  benighted 
heathen  in  foreign  climes,  awake  to 
the  awful  condition  of  the  poor  and 


outcast  Latter  Day  Saints  in  your  own 
land  ;  send  forth  your  master  spirits — 
your  Calvins — your  Luthers — your 
Wesleys  ;  let  the  thunder  of  their  elo- 
quence be  heard  upon  the  mountain 
tups  ;  let  the  vales  of  Utah  be  refresh- 
ed by  their  sublime  effusions  ;  let  the 
hills  and  mountain  gorges  re-echo  the 
glad  tidings,  till  every  ear  shall  hear, 
and  every  heart  be  penetrated.  A 
voice  is  heard  from  Utah  saying, 
Come  over  and  help  us  ;  teach  us  of 
our  errors  ;  convince  us  of  our  delu- 
sions, if  we  have  any ;  set  us  in  the 
good  old  paths  of  ancient  Christianity 
if  we  are  not  already  walking  there- 
in ;  take  us  by  the  hand  and  lead  us 
into  the  light,  if  you  consider  us  in 
darkness  ;  prove  to  us  that  the  Book 
of  Mormon  is  an  imposition  that  we 
may  be  justified  in  rejecting  it ;  con- 
vince us  that  a  plurality  of  wives  is 
contrary  to  the  gospel  ;  let  your  light 
shine  upon  the  mountains  and  upon 
the  highest  places  of  the  earth,  that 
Utah  may,  peradventure,  become  en- 
lightened, at  least,  that  she  may  be 
able  to  see  some  of  the  beauties  of 
civilized  society.  The  inhabitants  of 
that  dark  and  benighted  land  are  so 
far  sunk  in  the  depths  of  barbarism, 
that  they  will  not  suffer  a  public  pros- 
titute to  live  in  the  Territory  :  an 
adulterer  or  seducer  is  not  considered 
fit  to  live  in  that  barbarous  land. 
These  ornaments  of  civilized  and 
Christian  nations,  do  not  yet  adorn 
the  cities  and  towns  of  Utah.  Curs- 
ing, swearing,  gambling,  drunken- 
ness, stealing,  brother  going  to  law 
with  brother,  fighting,  quarrelling, 
and  such  like  specimens  of  civilized 
society,  have  not  yet  been  introduced 
to  polish  and  refine  the  manners  of 
that  deluded,  benighted  people.  Mis- 
sionaries, therefore,  will  have  a  great 
work  to  perform  to  reclaim  the  "Mor- 
mons" from  all  their  barbarous  and 
degrading  customs,  and  polish  and 
adorn"  them  with  all  the  beauties  of 
civilization.  But  let  them  not  be  dis- 
couraged ;  if  they  can  prove  that  they 
have  greater  light  than  the  Saints, 
they  may  be  assured  of  success,  and 
that  the  people  en  masse  will  be  con- 
verted. 


78 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


But  "the  people  of  Utah  should  be 
made  to  obey  the  laws  in  order  to 
avert  the  calamities  of  civil  war." 
We  hope  that  priests  and  editors  will 
not  martial  the  whole  nation  against 
tl^em.  At  least,  show  them  some  lit 
tie  mercy,  by  first  informing  them 
what  laws  of  God  or  man  they  have 
broken.  Before  you  blot  their  names 
out  from  under  Heaven,  give  them 
one  chance  of  repentance  and  refor- 
mation by  sending  wise  men,  and 
judges,  and  lawyers,  to  point  out  to 
them  what  law  of  the  United  States 
they  have  violated,  or  what  law  of  Utah 
Territory  they  have  trangressed.  If 
it  be  contrary  to  the  laws  of  the  Uni- 
ted States  for  the  citizens  of  Utah  to 
have  a  plurality  of  wives,  they  are 
certainly  ignorant  of  the  existence  of 
such  laws.  None  of  the  lawyers  or 
judges  who  have  been  sent  among 
them  have  ever  pretended  that  the 
United  States  have  passed  any  laws 
upon  that  subject.  And  as  for  the 
laws  of  the  individual  States  and  other 
Territories,  Utah  is  not  aware  that 
she  is  ameniable  to  them.  Each 
State  and  Territory  passes  its  own 
laws  to  regulate  its  own  domestic  re- 
lations and  internal  affairs,  and  is  not 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  any  other. 
If  Utah  has  become  a  transgressor  of 
any  laws  to  which  she  is  ameniable, 
let  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
appointed  for  that  Territory,  take 
cognisance  of  the  same,  and  punish 
her  citizens  by  law.  This  will  "avert 
the  calamities  of  civil  war"  which 
editors  and  religious  bigots  are  so 
fearful  of.  We  ask  the  citizens  of  the 
Northern  States,  if  their  State  laws 
authorize  them  to  regulate  the  policy 
of  the  Southern  States  in  regard  to 
slavery?  Have  they  the  right  to  say 
that  the  Southern  States  must  and 
shall  abolish  slavery?  The  State 
laws  of  the  North  have  nothing  to  do 
with  the  domestic  relations  of  the 
South.  So  it  is  in  regard  to  Utah  ; 
she  asks  not  the  interference  of  any 
State  of  this  Union  to  dictate  to  her 
what  kind  of  policy  she  must  adopt 
in  her  legislative  enactments  ;  if  she 
choose  to  adopt  slavery  in  her  midst, 
the  organic  law  of  the  Territory  gives 


her  the  privilege ;  if  she  choose  to 
practice  a  plurality  of  wives,  she  has 
the  most  unbounded  right  to  do  so,  un- 
til prohibited  by  law  ;  if  she  choose  to 
pass  laws  authorizing  her  citizens  to 
marry  a  hundred  or  seven  hundred 
wives,  it  would  be  a  violation  of  no 
law  or  Constitution  of  the  General 
Government.  If  enthusiasts  and  reli- 
gious bigots  are  not  pleased  with  the 
liberties  guaranteed  in  the  great  Con- 
stitution  of  this  country,  let  them  pe- 
tition  Congress  for  a  different  kind  of 
government — one  that  shall  combine 
the  ecclesiastical  with  the  civil  pow- 
er—one that  shall  incorporate  the 
holy  inquisition  for  the  punishment  of 
all  heretics  who  dare  think  or  act  for 
themselves — one  that  shall  issue  a 
bloody  edict  for  the  extermination  of 
the  Latter  Day  Saints  wherever  they 
can  be  found :  such  a  government 
would  be  much  better  adapted  to  their 
wants  :  such  a  government  would  en- 
able them  to  rule  over  the  consci- 
ences of  men  by  the  sword,  the  fag- 
got, and  the  fire  :  such  a  government 
would  enable  them  to  effectually  de- 
molish all  delusions  and  heretical 
opinions  by  physical  arguments,  in- 
stead of  mental.  O,  how  beautiful ! 
how  logical !  how  powerful  in  its  ap- 
plications would  such  an  order  of 
things  be  !  Before  such  irresistable 
logic  the  poor  "Mormons"  would 
stand  no  chance  at  all :  they  would  be 
overpowered,  butchered,  roasted  alive, 
as  an  unequivocal  testimony  of  their 
gross  delusions  ! 

But  to  return  again  to  our  subject. 
If  the  plurality  of  wives  once  existed 
in  the  Christian  Church,  why  has  not 
the  practice  been  kept  up  unto  the 
present  day?  Is  it  not  an  evidence 
that  it  never  existed  under  the  gospel, 
from  the  fact  that  it  has  not  been 
transferred  down  to  our  time  ?  We 
reply,  that  the  non-existence  of  the 
practice  among  Christian  nations  now, 
is  no  evidence,  at  all,  against  its  ex- 
istence in  the  early  age  of  Christian- 
ity.  There  is  scarcely  one  feature  of 
ancient  Christianity,  that  has  strug- 
gled through  the  long  night  of  dark- 
ness, and  reached  our  day.  Where 
now  are  the  inspired  Apostles  such  as 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


79 


characterized  ancient  Christianity  ? 
Where  now  are  the  abundance  of 
Christian  Prophets  such  as  once 
flourished  in  the  Christian  Church? 
Where  now  are  the  visions,  revela- 
tions, prophecies,  ministry  of  angels, 
the  healings,  the  miracles,  and  the 
power  of  God  that  distinguished  the 
Christian  Church  while  it  was  on  the 
earth  ?  Where  has  been  even  the 
Christian  Church  itself,  for  centuries 
and  ages  past?  It  has  been  nowhere 
upon  the  earth.  If  all  the  great,  and 
glorious,  and  grand  characteristics  of 
Christianity,  have  ceased — >if  the 
Christian  Church  itself,  has  not  been 
transferred  to  our  day,  how  could  it 
be  expected  that  the  plurality  of  wives 
as  practiced  in  that  Church,  should 
survive  the  general  wreck?  If  the 
most  important  offices,  gifts,  and  bless- 
ings of  the  gospel,  perished  in  the 
general  apostacy,  it  would  be  nothing 
strange  if  some  of  the  customs  of  the 
early  Christians  should  perish  also. 

After  the  Church  of  Christ  became 
extinct  from  the  earth,  the  apostates 
who  were  left  still  continued  a  form 
under  the  name  of  a  Christian  Church; 
these  changed  and  altered  customs  to 
suit  their  own  imaginations;  forbid- 
ding  their  priests  to  marry,  and  in- 
troducing celibacy,  and  nunneries, 
and  thousands  of  other  foolish  whims 
and  habits  that  the  Christian  Church, 
while  it  was  on  the  earth,  never 
thought  of.  From  these  unauthorized 
apostates,  sprang  all  the  churches  of 
modern  Christendom;  all  being  as 
destitute  of  divine  authority  as  the 
idolatrous  Hindoos.  And  through 
their  traditions,  customs,  and  foolish 
imaginations,  they  have  almost  en- 
tirely irradicated  every  feature  and 
custom  of  ancient  Christianity  from 
the  earth. 

This  great  apostacy  began  to  man- 
ifest itself  in  the  Christian  Church 
while  the  apostles  were  yet  living. 
Paul,  in  speaking  of  the  coming  of 
Christ,  says,  "Let  no  man  deceive 
you  by  any  means  :  for  that  day  shall 
not  come,  except  there  come  a  falling 
away  first."  (2  Thess.  5:  3.)  And 
again,  he  says,  "for  the  mystery  of 
iniquity  doth  already  work."    (Verse 


7.)  The  apostate  churches  of  latter 
times  were  to  be  "  without  natural 
affection,"  "  having  a  form  of  godli- 
ness, but  denying  the  power  thereof," 
"giving  heed  to  seducing  spirits,  and 
doctrines  of  devils;  speaking  lies  in 
hypocracy;  having  their  conscience 
seared  with  a  hot  iron;  jorbidding  to 
marry;"  "  waxing  worse  and  worse, 
deceiving  and  being  deceived;" 
"through  coveteousness,  with  feigned 
words,  making  merchandise  of  the 
people"  "  turning  their  ears  away 
from  the  truth,  and  turning  them  un- 
to fables."  "  Forbidding  to  marry" 
was  one  of  the  grand  evils  of  the 
apostacy;  it  was  classified  with  the 
"  doctrines  of  devils;''  it  was  one 
of  the  most  effectual  doctrines  that 
the  devil  could  invent  to  uproot  the 
foundations  of  society;  to  deprive  the 
people  of  God  of  their  promised  herit- 
age of  children;  to  thwart  the  pur- 
poses of  the  Almighty  in  peopling  the 
earth  with  its  full  measure  of  inhabi- 
tants;  to  cut  off  the  glory  promised  to 
the  faithful  through  the  continuance 
of  their  posterity;  to  reduce  mankind 
to  the  same  woful  condition,  as  the 
fallen  angels  themselves,  who  have 
no  power  to  increase  their  dominions 
by  a  multiplication   of  their  species. 

The  devil  and  his  angels,  having 
forfeited,  in  their  first  estate,  all  right 
to  enter  a  second  with  bodies  of  flesh 
and  bones,  and  having  lost  the  privil- 
ege of  marrying  and  propagating  their 
species,  feel  maliciously  wicked  and 
envious  against  the  sons  of  men  who 
kept  their  first  estate  and  are  now  in 
the  enjoyment  of  the  second,  marry- 
ing and  increasing  their  families  or 
kingdoms.  These  arch  seducers 
know  full  well  the  blessings  which 
they  have  lost,  and  which  they  see 
mankind  in  possession  of,  namely,  the 
blessings  of  wives  and  children. 
Could  they  seduce  mankind  and  for- 
bid them  to  marry,  it  would  greatly 
gratify  their  hellish  revenge;  for  they 
know  that  all  such  would  lose  their 
promised  glory,  being  left  wifeless 
and  childless  like  themselves,  without 
any  possible  means  of  reigning  over 
an  endless  increase  of  posterity. 

The  devils,  knowing  the    eternal 


80 


CONTENTS. 


ruin  which  would  necessarily  come 
upon  mankind  could  they  be  persuad- 
ed to  abolish  marriage,  used  every 
art  of  seduction  to  accomplish  their 
evil  designs.  When  they  could  not 
succeed  in  one  way  they  would  try 
another ;  if  they  could  not  persuade 
all  the  church  to  forsake  the  practice 
of  marriage,  they  would  then  try  their 
skill  upon  the  apostate  priesthood,  en- 
deavoring to  enforce  them  into  a  life 
of  perpetual  celibacy.  The  devils 
soon  succeeded  in  getting  laws  enact- 
ed, forbidding  the  Priests  to  marry. 
Nunneries  were  also  built  in  which 
females  were  immured  for  life,  and 
thus  prevented  from  fulfilling  the 
great  and  first  command  to  multiply 
their  species.  The  next  great  object 
with  the  Devil  was,  to  unite  this 
apostate  church  and  priesthood  with 
the  civil  power  ;  this  he  soon  accom- 
plished :  he  now  found  himself  armed 
with  double  facilities.  What  he 
could  not  before  fully  accomplish 
with  the  ecclesiastical  tribunals,  he 
could  now  perform  through  the  enact- 
ments of  the  civil  powers.  He  had 
already  succeeded  in  abolishing  mar- 
riage among  Priests  and  Nuns,  and 
the  next  step  was  to  forbid  the  plu- 
rality of  wives — that  divine  institu- 
tion which  had,  in  all  previous  ages 
of  the  world,  been  so  successful 
among  holy  Patriarchs,  Prophets,  and 
righteous  men  in  greatly  multiplying 
the  people  of  God,  and  spreading 
them  abroad  like  the  sands  of  the 
seashore.  Could  he  persuade  the 
ecclesiastical  and  civil  powers  to 
unitedly  attack  this  holy  institution, 
and  utterly  abolish  it  in  church  and 
State,  it  would  greatly  satiate  his  re- 
vengeful feelings  ;  for  he  recollected 


well  how  much  harm  Abraham, 
Jacob,  Moses,  Gideon,  Elkanah, 
David,  and  numerous  other  old  Po- 
lygamists  had  done  to  his  kingdom. 
God  had  declared  himself  to  be  the 
God  of  Abraham,  the  God  of  Isaac, 
and  the  God  of  Jacob,  and  had  pro- 
mised to  bless  the  children  of  their 
numerous  wives  and  multiply  them 
like  the  dust  of  the  earth.  And 
Christ  too,  the  greatest  enemy  which 
the  Devil  had,  was  so  well  pleased 
with  this  divine  institution  that  he 
chose  to  come  into  the  world  through 
the  lineage  of  a  long  list  of  Jewish 
and  Patriarchal  Polygamists.  The 
Devil,  therefore,  thought  to  vent  his 
spite  at  this  holy  order,  and  if  possi. 
ble  entirely  irradicate  it  from  the 
earth.  Through  the  influence  of 
Apostate  Christendom  several  na- 
tions have  actually  been  persuaded, 
to  assist  the  Devil  in  his  malicious 
warfare  against  this  divine  system  : 
they  have  actually  passed  laws  pro- 
hibiting it  in  their  midst.  Thus  that 
order  of  plurality  by  which  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel  were  founded,  and 
from  which  the  Messiah,  according 
to  the  flesh,  came  ;  that  order  which 
multiplied  the  chosen  seed  as  the 
stars  of  Heaven,  and  in  which  all  na- 
tions should  be  blessed ;  that  order 
by  which  the  childless  dead  could 
have  his  name  perpetuated  to  endless 
generations  ;  that  holy  divine  order 
has  been  overturned  and  abolished 
by  human  enactments  and  by  human 
authority.  Let  Apostate  Christen- 
dom blush  at  her  sacriligious  deeds  ! 
let  her  be  ashamed  of  her  narrow, 
contracted  bigoted  laws  ! 

(To  be  continued.) 


CONTENTS. 

The  Pre-existence  of  Man 65 

Celestial  Marriage 73 


WASHINGTON  CITY,   D.   C. 

Edited  and  Published  bt  Orsow  Pratt, 

at  $  1  per  annum,  invariably  in  advance. 


£,*> 


All  ye  inhabitant*  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  He 
lifteth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains.— Isaiah  xvm,  3. 


Vol.  I. 


JUNE,  1853. 


No.  6. 


THE  PRE-EXISTENCE  OF  MAN. 

(  Conlinwed.) 


62.  If  man  before  the  fall  harl  no 
knowledge  of  misery,  it  is  evident 
that  he  also  must  have  been  ignorant 
of  the  nature  of  happiness;  for  al- 
though placed  in  circumstances  where 
there  is  no  misery,  yet  he  does  not 
realize  that  this  condition  is  a  condi- 
tion of  happiness  :  no  one  could  ex- 
plain to  him  the  nature  of  happiness  : 
the  idea  of  happiness  never  could 
enter  his  mind  until  he  could  form  an 
idea  of  a  state  or  condition  of  an  op. 
posite  nature.  If  we  should  conceive 
of  a  being  placed  in  circumstances 
where  a  continuous  stream  of  light 
shone  upon  him,  whose  intensity 
never  varied — if  we  should  conceive 
him  as  never  closing  his  eyes  upon 
this  light,  it  would  be  impossible  for 
him  to  know  the  nature  of  darkness  ; 
and  it  would  be  equally  impossible 
for  him  to  form  any  idea  that  he  was 
enjoying  light :  light  could  not  be  ex- 
plained to  him,  as  something  opposite 
to  darkness ;  and  though  he  should 
dwell  in  that  light  eternally,  he 
never  could  appreciate  it ;  he  could 
not  contrast  his  condition  in  the  light 
with  the  condition  of  another  in 
darkness  ;  for  he  would  have  no  idea 
what  darkness  was  :  in  order  to  un- 
derstand the  difference  between  light 
and  darkness,  and  appreciate  the 
blessings  of  the  one,  contrasted  with 
the  disagreeableness  of  the  other,  he 
must  experience    the  two  opposite 


states.  So  likewise,  in  reference  to 
the  idea  of  happiness  ;  in  order  to  de- 
termine in  his  own  mind  what  happi- 
ness is,  he  must  be  able  to  contrast 
it  with  misery,  but  if  he  has  no  idea 
of  misery,  he  could  not  make  the  con- 
trast,  and  consequently  he  could  form 
no  idea  in  his  own  mind  that  his  state 
was  a  state  of  happiness.  The  word 
happiness  would  be  a  vague  term  of 
which  he  could  form  no  idea  of  the 
meaning.  Hence,  the  state  of  our 
first  parents  before  the  fall  must  have 
been  a  kind  of  neutral  state,  having 
no  knowledge  of  happiness  or  misery, 
neither  enjoying  the  one  nor  suffering 
the  other,  not  appreciating  their  con- 
dition, for  they  could  not  contrast  it 
with  any  opposite  condition.  It  was 
necessary,  therefore,  for  them  to  ex- 
perience pain  or  misery,  that  they 
might  discern  and  appreciate  happi- 
ness. 

63.  The  Lord  being  perfect  in 
goodness,  could  not,  consistently  with 
this  great  attribute  of  His  nature,  in- 
flict pain  or  misery  upon  innocent 
beings,  like  our  first  parents.  If  he 
had  made  them  subject  to  pain,  his 
work  could  not  have  been  pronounced 
very  good :  and  if  he  had  inflicted 
pain  upon  them  while  in  their  inno- 
cent state,  all  the  Heavens  would 
have  considered  Him  unjust  and  im- 
peached his  goodness.  Pain  or  mis- 
ery must  be  the  result  of  transgres- 


82 


THE   PRE-EXISTENCE   OF   MAN. 


sion,  All  pain  in  the  universe  origi- 
nated in  transgression.  But  our  first 
parents,  while  innocent,  knew  neither 
good  nor  evil  :  they  knew  that  God 
had  given  a  law  in  regard  to  the  fruit 
of  a  certain  tree  which  they  were  told 
was  "the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good 
and  evil."  The  mere  name  of  this 
tree  gave  them  no  idea  of  the  nature 
of  either  good  or  evil.  They  knew 
that  God  had  given  them  a  command 
not  to  eat  of  the  fruit ;  but  they  did 
not  know  that  obedience  to  this  law 
was  good,  and  that  disobedience  to  it 
was  evil.  If  they  had  been  told  that 
to  obey  the  law  was  good,  and  that  to 
disobey  it  was  evil,  they  could  not 
have  understood  the  terms;  good  and 
evil  were  words  without  meaning  to 
them.  It  was  true,  they  were  told  of 
the  penalty  which  should  be  inflicted 
upon  them  if  they  transgressed  the 
law.  But  they  could  form  no  idea  of 
the  nature  of  death,  so  far  as  the  sen- 
sation was  concerned  ;  and  therefore 
they  stood  in  no  fear  of  death.  If 
God  had  seen  proper  to  have  told  them 
before  the  fall,  that  death  would  be 
a  dissolution  of  body  and  spirit,  that 
their  bodies  would  return  to  dust,  and 
that  their  spirits  would  be  miserable, 
yet  they  could  not  have  understood 
that  such  a  state  of  things  would  be 
misery  ;  they  could  have  formed  no 
idea  of  the  evils  of  death,  or  that  it 
would  be  of  any  disadvantage  to  them 
to  have  their  bodies  and  spirits  sepa- 
rated. To  stand  in  fear  of  a  penalty 
would  indicate  that  the  being  who 
thus  feared,  must  have  some  idea  of 
misery,;  but.  as  our  first  parents  knew 
no  misery,  because  they  knew  no 
evil,  it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
have  any  fears  in  regard  to  the  con- 
sequences resulting  from  disobedi- 
ence.  Hence  they  were  agents  or 
subjects,  capable  of  being  enticed  to 
disobey  the  law  without  any  fear. 
They  had  never  been  frowned  upon 
by  their  Father,  therefore  they  could 
not  conceive  the  nature  of  a  frown. 
All  their  acts,  prior  to  knowing  good 
and  evil,  must  have  been,  to  a  certain 
extent,  without  any  merit  or  demerit. 
If  they  had  done  any  acts  which 
would  have  been  considered  good,  if 


performed  by  beings  who  knew  gooc7f 
yet,  because  of  their  ignorance  of  the 
nature  of  good,  such  acts  would  not 
be  considered  either  good  or  bad. 
Therefore,  they,  while  in  this  state 
of  ignorance,  could  do  no  good,  for  they 
knew  not  the  nature  of  good  :  neither 
could  they  learn  the  nature  of  good 
without  transgressing  the  law,  and 
thus  learning  the  nature  of  evil ;  then, 
and  not  till  then,  they  would  learn  by 
experience,  that  one  species  of  acts 
were  good,  and  that  another  species 
were  evil. 

64.  Without  a  knowledge  of  good 
and  evil,  of  happiness  and  misery, 
they  could  have  no  conception  of  jus- 
tice and  mercy.  A  sense  of  justice 
implies  not  only  a  knowledge  of  what 
is  right  and  wrong,  but  a  knowledge 
of  the  penalty  which  should  be  in- 
flicted upon  the  evil  doer.  An  under- 
standing  of  the  nature  of  mercy  im- 
plies an  understanding  of  justice;  and 
without  a  knowledge  of  the  latter,  no 
conceptions  could  be  formed  of  the 
nature  of  the  former.  Our  first  pa- 
rents, in  this  state,  had  never  seen 
any  one  suffering  the  demands  of  jus- 
tice under  the  penalty  of  a  broken 
law  ;  they  never  had  seen  mercy  of- 
fered to  a  being  in  such  a  condition. 
Justice  and  mercy  would  be  words  to 
them  without  a  meaning  :  the  ideas  of 
their  nature  could  not,  in  their  inno- 
cent state,  enter  into  their  hearts. 
Language  would  be  altogether  inade- 
quate to  give  them  the  least  notion 
of  these  qualities;  they  could  only  be 
learned  by  tasting  good  and  evil ;  by 
partaking  of  happiness  and  misery. 

65.  Love  and  hatred  must  have 
been  sensations  unknown  prior  to  the 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  Hatred 
is  excited  by  something  possessing 
disagreeable  qualities ;  but,  as  all 
things  were  very  good,  there  was 
nothing  calculated  to  excite  this  pas- 
sion :  no  evil  qualities  were,  as  yet, 
discerned  by  them  :  such  sensations 
could  not  be  produced  in  them,  with- 
out inflicting  more  or  less  pain  ;  but 
the  sensation  of  pain  could  not  be 
awakened  without  doing  evil;  there- 
fore, it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
have  the  sensation  of  hatred  before 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE   OF    MAN. 


83 


knowing  evil.     But  a  being  who  has  I  gal  love  could  exist  between  the  two 


no  knowledge  of  hatred  can  have  no 
knowledge  of  Love  ;  for  love  being 
the  opposite  of  hatred,  can  only  be 
understood  by  contrast.  In  order  to 
love,  a  being  must  perceive  some- 
thing good  in  the  object  loved,  but  as 
Adam  had  no  idea  of  good,  he  could 
not  love  anything  because  it  possessed 
the  quality  of  goodness,  and  there- 
fore,  he  could  not  form  any  idea  of 
the  nature  of  love.  Love  and  hatred, 
then,  are  sensations  derived  from  the 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil. 

66.  If  the  knowledge  of  good  and 
evil,  of  happiness  and  misery,  of  jus- 
tice  and  mercy,  cf  love  and  hatred, 
had  no  place  in  the  minds  of  our  first 
parents,  prior  to  the  fall,  it  is  evident 
that  they  were  totally  deficient  of  the 
qualities  necessary  to  the  enjoyment 
of  the  society  of  beings  of  a  superior 
order;  they  were  totally  unqualified 
io  converse,  and  reason,  and  associ- 
ate with  any  degree  of  satisfaction 
with  beings  who  were  in  the  posses- 
sion of  all  this  knowledge  ;  they  were 
totally  inadequate  to  hold  any  power 
or  authority  among  those  who  knew 
.good  and  evil ;  they  were  entirely 
unqualified   to   sit  in  judgment  upon 


sexes,  when  they  had  no  knowledge 
of  good  or  evil,  of  joy  or  misery. 
That  feeling  of  joy  which  now  exists 
between  husband  and  wife,  they  must 
have  been  strangers  to.  It  is  also 
extremely  doubtful,  whether  they,  in 
their  state  of  ignorance,  could  propa- 
gate a  mortal  species.  Shame  or 
modesty  was  something  that  they  had 
no  idea  of;  hence,  we  read  that, 
"  They  were  both  naked,  the  man  and 
his  wife,  and  were  not  ashamed." 
(Gen.  2:  25.)  They,  being  im- 
mortal,  and  having  no  blood  flowing 
within  their  systems,  and  being  desti- 
tute of  the  idea  of  love  and  hatred,  of 
sexual  affection,  and  of  every  princi- 
ple resulting  from  a  knowledge  of  good 
and  evil,  were  unqualified,  as  yet,  to 
fulfil  that  great  commad,  to  "  Be  fruit- 
ful, and  multiply  and  replenish  the 
earth;"  (Gen.  1  :  28;)  providing  that 
the  command  had  reference  to  a 
mortal  posterity  of  flesh  and  bones. 
Flesh  and  bones  are  made  out  of  blood, 
and  without  blood  flesh  and  bones 
could  not  be  begotten  and  born  ;  now, 
as  blood  is  the  natural  life,  and  con- 
tains within  itself  mortality  and  death, 
it  is  evident  that  Adam  and  Eve  had 


transgressors — >to  discern  the  nature  I  not   that   mortal  fluid  flowing  within 


of  crime — to  punish  the  guilty — to 
show  mercy  to  the  afflicted — to  love 
good  and  hate  evil :  for  the  want  of 
experimental  knowledge  they  could 
not,  for  a  moment,  have  been  entrust- 
ed with  the  exercise  of  any  of  these 
important  functions.  And  thus  we 
perceive,  as  we  have  already  stated 
in  a  former  paragraph,  that  there  are 
certain  truths  which  could  only  be 
learned  by  experience  ;  while  there 
are  other  truths  which  can  be  ac- 
quired by  reason,  reflection,  observa- 
tion, and  revelation.  But  experimen- 
tal truths  are  just  as  necessary  as 
those  acquired  by  a  different  process. 
67.  Thus  we  see  that  the  knowl- 
edge of  our  first  parents  was  ex- 
tremely limited.  Though  the  Lord 
had  formed  Eve  and  brought  her  to 
Adam,  yet  it  is  extremely  doubtful 
whether,  in  their  innocent  state,  they 
could  love  or  hate  each  other.  It  is 
difficult  for  us  to  conceive  how  conju- 


their  immortal  systems  ;  and  yet  with- 
out blood,  they  never  could  have  begot- 
ten children  ot  flesh  and  bones.  If  it 
were  the  design  of  the  Almight}',  that 
man,  in  his  second  estate,  should  be- 
get  bodies  or  tabernacles  only,  and 
not  spirits,  then  it  was  impossible  for 
them  to  fulfil  that  design  until  after 
the  fall.  The  spirits  were  already 
begotten  in  heaven  ;  these  spirits  re- 
quired  tabernacles  ;  it  may  have  been 
the  the  duty  of  man  in  this  world  to 
beget  these  tabernacles,  that  innocent 
spirits  from  the  spirit  world  might 
take  up  their  abode  in  them.  This 
work  man,  in  this  world,  could  not  do, 
unless  blood  circulated  within  his  ar- 
teries and  veins.  Now,  the  Lord 
could  not,  consistently  with  his  good- 
ness, organize  blood  within  the  sys- 
tem of  man,  and  thus  subject  him  to 
death.  He  therefore  made  him  im- 
mortal, by  organizing,  in  connection 
with  his  flesh  and  bones,  an  immortal 


84 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE   OF    MAN. 


fluid  of  a  more  refined   nature   than 
that  of  blood — a  fluid  of  spirit. 

68.  In  order  that  man  might  have 
the  exceedingly  great  privilege  grant- 
ed to  him  of  knowing  good  and  evil, 
happiness     and    misery,  justice   and 
mercy,  love  and  hatred,  of  multiplying 
and    replenishing    the    earth,    with 
bodies  or  tabernacles  for  the  spirits — 
the  Lord  formed  the   tree  of  know- 
ledge, and  so  constructed  its  fruit,  that 
if  taken  in  the  system,   it  would  de- 
stroy  the     immortality   thereof,    and 
cause  blood  to  usurp  the  place  of  the 
spiritual  fluid,  and  thus,  by  our  first 
parents,  partaking  of  the  tree,  they 
would  place  themselves  in  a  condi- 
tion  to  propagate  their  species,  or  in 
other   words,   bodies   of  flesh.      But 
did  the  Lord  command  them  to  eat  of 
this   fruit?      No:    such    a   command 
would   have   been  inconsistant  with 
His  goodness.     It  was  perfectly  con- 
sistant  with  His  attributes  to  make 
the  tree  :  it  was  perfectly  right  that 
he  should  plant  it  in  the  midst  of  the 
garden,  where   Adam   and   his   wife 
could  not   fail   to   behold   it,  as   they 
passed  to  and  fro  eating  of  the  vari- 
ous   fruits    with    which    the    garden 
abounded.     But    knowing    that    the 
fruit    contained   mortality  and    death 
within  it,  he  did  not  feel  justified  to 
let  Adam  and  Eve  partake  of  it  with- 
out giving  them   a   warning  of  the 
consequences    which    would    follow. 
The  Heavens  would  have  considered 
the  Lord  unjust,  inasmuch  as  He  had 
made  the  tree  and  placed  it  within 
the  reach  of  man,  if  He  had  neglect- 
ed    to   caution    him    not   eat    of   it. 
Therefore,   the    Lord    gave   a    strict 
command  that  our  first  parents  should 
not  eat  of  the  fruit,  telling  them  that 
they   should   surely   die,   if  they   did 
partake    of  it.     The  Lord,  having  a 
fore-knowledge   of  all   things,  knew 
that  Adam  and  Eve   would,  because 
of  their   great   ignorance,  be   easily 
enticed    to    disobey   this    command- 
ment, he,  therefore,  suffered  Satan  to 
enter  into  the  body  of  a  certain  beast, 
called  a  serpent,  and  to  speak  through 
the  serpent  and  entice  our  first  pa- 
rents to   eat   the    forbidden   fruit. — 
(See  Joseph  Smith's  inspired  trans- 


lation of  the  third  chap,  of  Gen.) 
They  yielded  to  the  temptation  :  the 
Lord  now  could  inflict  upon  them 
pain,  and  misery,  and  death,  and  still 
be  just;  for  they  had  disobeyed  his- 
command.  They  were  now  made 
mortal  by  their  own  acts.  Blood 
now  flowed  within  their  systems,  and 
they  had  placed  themselves  in  a  con- 
dition to  "  multiply  and  replenish  the 
earth"  with  a  mortal  posterity.  Al- 
though the  command  was  given  be- 
fore tne  fall  for  man  to  multiply,  yet 
the  Lord  very  well  knew  that  man 
could  not  fulfil  this  command,  so  far 
as  mortality  was  concerned,  until  he 
should  through  his  own  act,  acquire 
a  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  and  in- 
troduce a  change  into  his  own  sys- 
tem adapted  to  that  end.  Therefore? 
the  first  great  command  was  given 
according  to  the  fore-knowledge  of 
God  in  relation  to  the  fall,  knowing 
that  man  would  suffer  the  penalties 
of  eating  the  forbidden  fruit,  and 
knowing  that  while  under  that  pen- 
alty he  would  be  prepared  to  beget  a 
fleshly  offspring.  From  all  the  cir- 
cumstances, it  appears  plain  to  us, 
that  the  Lord  never  intended  our  first 
parents  to  multiply  mortal  taber- 
nacles until  after  they  should,  by 
their  own  acts,  gain  a  knowledge  of 
good  and  evil,  and  be  prepared  to 
govern  children,  according  to  the 
principles  of  justice  and  mercy,  and 
the  nature  of  right  and  wrong.  It 
would  seem  too,  that  the  command  to 
multiply  was  given  to  all  the  children 
of  men  both  male  and  female  on  the 
sixth  day;  and  as  Adam  and  Eve 
were  not  formed  temporally  until  the 
seventh  day,  the  command  must  have 
been  given  while  they  were  in  the 
spirit  world,  and  it  is  not  at  all  likely 
that  they  remembered  the  command 
after  entering  their  tabernacles.  In 
the  book  of  Abraham,  the  Lord  has 
not  told  us  that  he  gave  a  positive 
command  for  man  to  multiply ;  but 
while  counselling  upon  the  subject 
on  the  sixth  day,  "  The  Gods  said, 
we  will  cause  them  to  be  fruitful, 
and  multiply,  and  replenish  the 
earth."  This  was  not  a  command, 
but  merely  a  declaration  what  the 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


85 


'Gods  would  do.  "  We  will  cause 
them  to  be  fruitful,"  &c.  Now  we 
have  already  seen  what  plan  was 
adopted  to  cause  them  to  multiply; 
it  was  by  placing  before  them  "the 
tree  of  knowledge,"  that  they,  through 
the  exercise  of  their  own  agency, 
might  be  endowed  with  the  requisite 
qualifications  not  only  to  bring  forth 
mortal  children,  but  to  govern  them 
according  to  the  laws  of  good  and 
evil. 

69.   That  our   first   parents   would 
have  had  no  mortal    children    if  they 
had    not    partaken    of  the    forbidden 
fruit,  is  not  only  reasonable,  but  it  is 
clearly  revealed  in  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon.    The   prophet  Lehi  says,  "  If 
Adam  had  not  transgressed,  he  would 
not  have  fallen  ;   but   he   would  have 
remained  in  the  garden  of  Eden.   And 
all  things  which   were  created,  must 
have    remained    in     the    same    state 
which    they   were,   after   they    were 
created;  and  they  must  have  remain- 
ed   forever,  and   had   no   end.      And 
they  would   have,    had  no    children ; 
wherefore,  they  would   have  remain- 
ed in  a  state  of  innocence,  having  no 
joy,  for  they  knew  no  misery;  doing 
no  good,  for  they  knew  no  sin.     But 
behold,  all  things  have  been  done  in 
the  wisdom  of  Him  who  knoweth  all 
things.     Adam  fell   that   men   might 
be  ;  and  men  are  that  they  might  have 
joy."     (2   Book   of  Nephi,  1st  chap, 
page  58.)    The  same  doctrine  is  also 
revealed  in  the  inspired  translation  of 
the    Book  of  Genesis.     "And  Adam 
called  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and 
Eve   also,  his    wife,  and   they   heard 
the  voice  of  the  Lord   from  the  way 
towards  the  garden  of  Eden,  speaking 
unto   them,  and   they  saw    Him   not, 
for  they  were  shut  out  from  his  pre- 
sence.    And  He  gave  unto  them  com- 


I  know  not,  save  the  Lord  command- 
ed me.  And  then  the  Angel  spake, 
saying,  This  thing  is  a  similitude  of 
the  sacrifice  of  the  Only  Begotten  of 
the  Father,  which  is  full  of  grace  and 
truth.  Wherefore,  thou  shalt  do  all 
that  thou  doest  in  the  name  of  the 
Son,  and  thou  shalt  repent,  and  call 
upon  God  in  the  name  of  the  Son  for 
evermore. 

And  in  that  day  the  Holy  Ghost  fell 
upon  Adam,  which  bore  record  of  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  saying,  I  am  Je- 
sus Christ  from  the  beginning,  hence- 
forth and  forever,  that  as  thou  hast 
fallen,  thou  mayest  be  redeemed ; 
and  all  mankind,  even  as  many  as 
will. 

And  in  that  day  Adam  blessed  God, 
and  was  filled,  and  began  to  prophesy, 
concerning  all  the  families  of  the 
earth  :  blessed  be  the  name  of  God 
for  my  transgression,  for  in  this  life  I 
shall  have  joy,  and  again  in  my  flesh 
I  shall  see  God. 

And  Eve,  his  wife,  heard  all  these 
things,  and  was  glad,  saying,  were  it 
not  for  our  transgression,  WE 
SHOULD  NEVER  HAVE  HAD 
SEED,  and  should  never  have  known 
good  and  evil,  and  the  joy  of  our  re- 
demption, and  the  eternal  life  which 
God  giveth  unto  all  the  obedient.  And 
Adam  and  Eve  blessed  the  name  of 
God  ;  and  they  made  all  things  known 
unto  their  sons  and  their  daughters." 

70.  The  prophet  Enoch  also  re- 
veals the  same  doctrine  in  his  cele- 
brated discourse  on  the  subject  of  the 
gospel,  as  revealed  to  Adam  after  he 
was  driven  out  from  the  garden  of 
Eden.  "  And  Enoch  continued  his 
speech,  saying,  Ttie  Lord  which 
spake  with  me,  the  same  is  the  God 
of  Heaven,  and  He  is  my  God  and 
your  God,  and  ye  are  my  brethren; 
and    why  counsel  ye  yourselves,  and 


mandment,  that  they  should  worship 

the  Lord  their  God,  and  should  offer  j  deny  the  God  of  Heaven  ? 
the  firstlings  of  their  flocks,  for  an]  The  heavens  hath  He  made:  the 
offering  unto  the  Lord.  And  Adam!  earth  is  His  footstool,  and  the  founda- 
was  obedient  unto  the  commandments  tion  thereof  is  his  :  behold  He  hath 
of  the  Lord.  laid    it;    an   host    of  men    hath    He 

And  after  many  days  an  angel  of  brought  in  upon  the  face  thereof, 
the  Lord  appeared  unto  Adam,  saying  And  death  hath  come  upon  our  fathers: 
Why  dost  thou  offer  sacrifices  unto  nevertheless  we  know  them,  and  can- 
theLord?    And  Adam  said  unto  him,   not  deny;  and  even  the   first  of  all 


86 


THE    PRE-EXFSTENGT2    OF   MAN1. 


we  know,  even  Adam.  For  a  book 
of  remembrance  we  have  written 
among  us,  according  to  the  pattern 
given  by  the  finger  of  God  :  and  it  is 
given  in  our  own  language. 

And  as  Enoch  spake  forth  the  words 
of  God,  the  people  trembled,  and 
could  not  stand  before  bis  presence  : 
and  he  said  unto  them,  BECAUSE 
THAT  ADAM  FELL  WE  ARE: 
and  by  his  fall  came  death  ;  and  we 
are  made  partakers  of  misery  and 
wne.  Behold  Satan  hath  come  j 
among  the  children  of  men,  and 
tempteth  them  to  worship  him:  and 
men  have  become  carnal,  sensual, 
and  devlish,  and  are  shut  out  from  the 
presence  of  God.  But  God  hath 
made  known  unto  my  fathers,  that  all 
men  must  repent. 

And  He  called  upon  our  father 
Adam  by  his  own  voice,  saying,  I  am 
God  :  I  made  the  world,  and  men  be- 
fore they  were.  And  He  also  said 
unto  him,  If  thou  wilt  turn  unto  me, 
and  hearken  unto  my  voice,  and  be. 
lieve,  and  repent  of  all  thy  trans- 
gressions, and  be  baptized  even  by 
water,  in  the  name  of  mine  Only 
Begotten  Son,  which  is  full  of  grace 
and  truth,  which  is  Jesus  Christ,  the 
only  name  which  shall  be  given  un- 
der Heaven,  whereby  salvation  shall 
come  unto  the  children  of  men  ;  ye 
shall  ask  all  things  in  His  name,  and 
whatever  ye  shall  ask,  it  shall  be 
given. 

And  our  father  Adam  spake  unto 
the  Lord,  and  said,  Why  is  it  that 
men  must  repent  and  be  baptized  by 
water?  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Adam,  Behold  I  have  forgiven  thee 
thy  transgressions  in  the  garden  of 
Eden.  Thence  came  the  saying 
abroad  among  the  people,  That  Christ 
hath  atoned  for  original  guilt,  wherein 
the  sins  of  the  parents  cannot  be  an- 
swered upon  the  heads  of  the  chil- 
dren, for  they  are  whole  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world. 

And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Adam, 
saying,  Inasmuch  as  thy  children  are 
conceived  in  sin,  even  so  when  they 
begin  to  grow  up,  sin  conceiveth  in 
their  hearts,  and  they  taste  the  bit- 
ter,  that  they  may  know  to  prize  the 


good.  And  it  rs  given  unto  them  tv 
know  good  from  evil  :  wherefore,  they 
are  agents  unto  themselves,  and  f 
have  given  unto  you  another  law  and 
commandment :  wherefore  teach  it 
unto  your  children,  that  all  men, 
everywhere,  must  repent,  or  they  can 
in  no  wise  inherit  the  kingdom  of 
God  ;  for  no  unclean  thing  can  dwell 
there,  or  dwell  in  His  presence  ;  for 
in  the  language  of  Adam,  Man  of 
Holines*  is  His  name  ;  and  the  name 
of  His  Only  Begotten,  is  the  Son  oi 
Man,  even  Jesus  Christ,  a  righteous 
Judge  which  shall  come. 

I  give  unto  ycu  a  commandment  to- 
teach  these  things  freely  unto  your 
child ren,  saying,  That,  inasmuch  as 
they  were  horn  into  the  world  by  the- 
fall  which  bringeth  death,  by  Water, 
and  Blood,  and  the  Spirit  which  I 
have  made,  and  so  become  &f  dust  a 
living  soul,  even  so,  ye  must  he  born 
again  of  Water,  and  the  Spirit,  and 
cleansed  by  blood,  even  the  blood  of 
mine  Only  Begotten,  into  the  myste- 
ries of  the  kingdom  of  Heaven  ;  that 
ye  may  be  sanctified  from  all  sin,  and 
enjoy  the  words  of  eternal  life  in 
this  world,  and  eternal  life  in  the 
world  to  come,  even  immortal  glory  i 
for  by  the  water  ye  keep  the  com- 
mandment;  by  the  Spirit  ye  are  jus- 
tified ;  and  by  the  blood  ye  are  sanc- 
tified, that  in  you  is  given  the  Record 
of  Heaven  —  the  Comforter  —  the 
Peaeable  Things  of  immortal 
glory — the  Truth  of  all  things — that 
which  quickeneth  all  things,  which 
maketh  alive  all  things — that  which 
knoweth  all  things,  and  hath  all 
power,  according  to  wisdom,  mercy, 
truth,  justice,  and  judgment. 

And  now,  behold,  I  say  unto  you? 
this  is  the  plan  of  salvation  unto  all 
men  :  the  Biood  of  mine  Only  Begot* 
ten  which  shall  come  in  the  meridian 
of  time.  And  behold,  all  things  have 
their  likeness,  and  all  things  are  cre- 
ated and  made  to  bear  record  of  me, 
both  things  which  are  temporal,  and 
things  which  are  spiritual;  things 
which  are  in  the  heavens  above, 
and  things  which  are  on  the  earth  ; 
and  things  which  are  in  the  earth, 
and    things    which    are    under   th& 


THE   PRE-EXISTEXCE    OP    MAN. 


87 


earth,  both  above    and    beneath:   all 
things  bear  record  of  me. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the 
Lord  had  spoken  with  Adam,  our 
father,  that  Adam  cried  unto  the  Lord, 
and  he  was  caught  away  by  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord,  and  was  carried 
down  into  the  water,  and  was  laid 
•under  the  water, and  was  brought  forth 
out  of  the  water:  and  thus  he  was  bap- 
tized, and  the  Spirit  of  God  descend- 
ed upon  him:  and  thus  he  was  bom 
of  the  Spirit,  and  he  became  quicken- 
ed in  the  inner  man  :  and  he  heard 
a  voice  out  of  Heaven,  saying,  Thou 
art  baptized  with  fire,  and  with  the 
Holy  Ghost.  This  is  the  Record  of 
the  Father,  and  the  Son,  from  hence- 
forth and  tor  ever.  And  thou  art 
after  the  order  of  Him  who  was  with- 
out beginning  of  days  or  end  of  years, 
from  all  eternity.  Behold,  thou  art 
one  in  me — a  son  of  God  ;  and  thus 
may  all  become  my  sons,  Amen."* 

71.  From  all  these  quotations  we 
learn,  that  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
fall  of  our  first  parents,  they  never 
could  have  had  mortal  children.  Eve 
said,  "Were  it  not  for  our  transgres- 
sion, we  should  never  have  had  seed." 
Enoch  said,  "Because  that  Adam  fell 
we  are."  Lehi  said,  "Adam  fell  that 
men  might  be."  The  Lord  said  to 
Adam: — "Inasmuch  as  thy  children 
are  conceived  in  sin,  even  so,  when 
they  begin  to  grow  up,  sin  conceiveth 
in  their  hearts."  And  again,  the 
Lord  said  in  relation  to  these  chil- 
dren, "  They  were  born  into  the 
world  by  the  fall  which  bringeth 
death,  by  Water,  and  Blood,  and  the 
Spirit  whith  I  have  made,  and  so  be- 
come of  dust  a  living  soul."  The 
"  Water  and  Blood,"  properly  united, 
form  the  flesh  and  bones  of  an  in- 
fant ;  the  spirit  from  Heaven,  uniting 
with  the  "  Water  and  Blood,"  ani- 
mates the  body,  and  thus  it  becomes 
"of  dust  a  living  soul." 

72.  Adam  said,  "  Blessed  be  the 
name  of  God  for  my  transgression, 
for  in  this  life  I  shall  have  joy,  and 


*  Revealed  to  Joseph,  the  Seer,  Dec. 
1830,  as  a  part  of  the  Inspired  Translation 
of  the  Book  of  Genesis. 


again  in  my  flesh  I  shall  see  God. 
And  Eve,  his  wife,  heard  all  these 
things  and  was  glad,  saying,  were  it 
not  for  our  transgression,  we  should 
never  have  had  seed,  and  should 
never  have  known  good  and  evil,  and 
the  joy  of  our  redemption,  and  the 
eternal  life  which  God  giveth  unto 
all  the  obedient."  How  great  rea- 
son had  our  first  parents  to  bless  and 
praise  God  that  he  had  made  and 
placed  the  tree  of  knowledge  in  a 
position  where  they  could  eat  of  it; 
for  though  they  brought  upon  them- 
selves  the  penalty  of  their  disobedi- 
ence and  were  placed,  with  their 
posterity,  in  a  state  of  suffering,  yet 
it  was  far  better  for  them  to  endure 
the  suffering,  and  even  to  die,  than 
to  have  remained  in  the  state  that 
they  were  in  before  the  fall.  Indeed, 
it  would  have  been  better  for  them 
to  have  suffered  a  hundred-fold  more 
than  what  they  did,  than  to  have  al- 
ways remained  in  a  state  of  profound 
ignorance  of  good  and  evil — than  to 
have  forever  been  in  a  state  incapa- 
ble of  knowing  or  appreciating  joy  or 
happiness — a  state,  wherein  the  idea 
of  justice  and  mercy  could  never  have 
entered  into  their  hearts.  It  was  not 
the  design  of  the  Lord  that  man 
should  remain  in  such  depths  of  ig- 
norance. Well  might  Adam  and 
Eve  bless  God  for  their  transgres- 
sion ;  for  all  the  sufferings  that  they 
endured  in  consequence  of  it  were 
not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the 
infinitely  important  knowledge  gain- 
ed, and  the  joys  which  flowed  through 
that  knowledge.  Christ  was  consid- 
ered, as  a  "  Lamb  slain  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world,"  to  atone  for 
the  original  sin  of  Adam.  There- 
fore, by  his  transgression,  he  obtain- 
ed knowledge  indispensably  neces- 
sary to  his  exaltation  and  happiness; 
and  by  the  atonement  his  sin  was 
forgiven,  and  he  restored  to  the  favor 
of  God,  possessing  the  requisite 
qualifications  to  enjoy  his  redemp- 
tion, and  the  society  of  beings  who 
knew  good  and  evil.  "The  Lord 
God  said,  Behold  the  man  is  be- 
come as  one  of  us,  to  know  good  and 
evil."     (Gen.  3  :  22)     God  and  the 


THE    TRE-EXISTENCE   OF   MAN. 


heavenly  host  had  attained  to  the 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  and 
therefore  they  were  capable  of  en- 
joying happiness  and  judging  right- 
eously according  to  the  principles 
of  right  and  wrong,  justice  and 
mercy.  Adam,  by  his  transgres- 
sion, had  become  like  one  of  the 
Gods  to  know  good  and  evil.  Now 
can  it  be  supposed,  for  a  moment, 
that  the  Lord  did  not  wish  Adam 
to  become  like  himself?  Was  He 
hot  desirous  that  he  should  learn 
how  to  distinguish  between  that  which 
was  good,  and  that  which  was  evil  ? 
Or  did  He  design  that  man  should 
forever  be  deprived  of  that  informa- 
tion which  alone  could  give  him  joy  ? 
Was  not  the  only  Begotten  Son  will- 
ing, even  before  the  world  was  made, 
to  be  sent  forth  in  the  meridian  of 
time  to  suffer  and  die,  in  order  to 
atone  for  a  tiansgression  which  would 
place  Adam  in  the  same  condition  as 
the  Gods  in  respect  to  good  and  evil? 
The  Son  did  not  consider  death  to  be 
too  great  a  sacrifice,  in  order  that  man 
might  be  raised  from  the  very  depths 
of  ignorance  and  be  placed  on  an 
equal  footing  with  the  Gods,  as  far  as 
it  regards  good  and  evil  and  all  their 
accompanying  consequences. 

73.  It  is  true,  if  the  Saviour  had 
not  proposed  to  die  to  atone  for  Adam's 
sin,  then  there  would  have  been  no 
way  of  forgiveness;  and  justice  would 
have  consigned  Adam  to  endless 
misery  and  banishment  from  the  pre- 
sence of  his  Father,  without  any  hopes 
of  the  resurrection  of  his  body,  or  a 
redemption  of  his  spirit  from  the 
power  of  the  Devil:  hence,  if  God 
had  not  contrived  a  plan  of  redemption 
it  would  have  been  better  for  Adam 
riot  to  have  fallen;  it  would  have  been 
better  for  him  to  have  remained  in 
profound  ignorance  of  good  and  evil, 
happiness  and  misery,  than  to  have 
been  miserable  forever,  like  the  fal- 
len angels.  But  God  having  devised 
a  plan  of  Redemption,  it  was  far  bet- 
ter for  Adam  to  transgress  and  suffer 
the  penalties  of  that  transgression  for 
a  season,  than  to  remain  in  a  state, 
wherein  he  could  never  know  good 
and  evil,  like  the  Gods — wherein  he 


could  never  appreciate  the  happiness 
of  heaven,  or  know  the  joys  of  eter- 
nal life — wherein  he  could  not  under- 
stand the  nature  of  justice  and  mercy, 
of  right  and  wrong — wherein  he  could 
never  be  entrusted  with  any  author- 
ity, or  power,  or  rule  over  beings 
who  were  in  possession  of  this  super- 
ior knowledge? — and  wherein  he  could 
never  have  had  children,  and  there- 
fore, the  great  family  of  spirits  in 
Heaven  would  have  been  disappoint- 
ed in  their  anxious  longing  expecta- 
tions to  receive  bodies.  Therefore, 
I  lift  up  my  heart  in  praise  and  thanks- 
giving before  the  Lord;  yea,  I  bless 
God  with  all  my  soul,  that  our  first 
parents  did  transgress,  and  bring  suf- 
fering, and  misery,  and  death  upon 
the  world  ;  for,  because  of  this  trans- 
gression my  spirit  has  been  permitted 
to  come  from  heaven  and  enter  a  ta- 
bernacle of  flesh  and  bones — because 
of  this  transgression,  I  am  permitted 
to  know,  in  this  life,  good  and  evil, 
joy  and  misery,  justice  and  mercy,  love 
and  hatred — because  of  this  trans- 
gression, I  learn  by  experience  things 
which  I  never  could  have  learned  in 
any  other  way — because  of  this  trans- 
gression, I  shall  know  and  appreciate 
the  joys  of  my  redemption  ;  I  shall 
enjoy  the  words  of  eternal  life  in  this 
world,  and  the  fulness  of  eternal  life 
in  the  world  to  come. 

74.  There  was  another  tree  in  the 
garden  of  Eden  whose  fruit  possessed 
qualities  of  an  opposite  nature  to  that 
of  the  tree  of  knowledge.  It  was 
called  "the  Tree  of  Life."  This  tree 
was  calculated  to  produce  endless 
life  ;  it  would  change  mortality  into 
immortality,  as  may  be  seen  from  the 
following  passages  : — "And  the  Lord 
said,  Behold  the  man  is  become  as  one 
of  us,  to  know  good  and  evil ;  and 
now,  lest  he  put  forth  his  hand  and 
take  also  of  the  tree  of  life,  and  eat, 
and  live  forever  :  therefore  the  Lord 
God  sent  him  forth  from  the  garden  of 
Eden,  to  till  the  ground  from  whence 
he  was  taken.  So  He  drove  out 
the  man  ;  and  He  placed  at  the  east 
of  the  garden  of  Eden  Cherubims, 
and  a  flaming  sword  which  turned, 
every  way,  to   keep   the    way  of  the 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


89 


tree  of  life."  (Gen.  3:  22—24.)  If 
our  first  parents,  after  having  trans- 
gressed, and  become  subject  to  death, 
had  been  permitted  to  eat  of  that,  the 
consequences  would  have  been  of  the 
most  fearful  nature,  and  thev  would 
have  been  ruined  forever.  The  act 
would  not  only  have  affected  man,  but 
it  would  have  affected  God;  His  word 
would  have  been  void,  for  the  sen- 
tence  of  death  had  already  passed, 
and  they  were  told  that  they  should 
"surely  die."  The  fruit  of  the  Tree 
of  Life  would  have  caused  them  to 
live  forever,  and  God's  word  would 
have  failed:  not  only  so,  but  they 
would  have  lived  forever  in  misery; 
for  the  plan  of  salvation  which  was 
to  be  brought  about  by  the  shedding 
of  blood  or  by  the  death  of  the  Sa- 
viour, would  have  been  frustrated.  If 
Adam  had  placed  himself  in  a  condi- 
tion that  he  could  not  die,  his  children 
would  have  been  placed  in  the  same 
condition  also ;  (that  is,  providing 
that  it  was  possible  for  him  to  have 
begotten  children  of  flesh  and  bones 


under  such  circumstances ;)  hence, 
the  Messiah,  according  to  the  flesh, 
could  not  have  died:  forasmuch  as  all 
the  children  would  have  been  immor- 
tal, His  fleshly  body  would  have  been 
immortal  also  and  without  blood;  thus, 
there  could  have  been  no  atonement 
by  the  shedding  of  blood.  Therefore, 
man  would  have  remained  in  his  fal- 
len state  forever,  being  subject  to  the 
Devil  who  had  overcome  him,  being 
dead  spiritually  without  any  possibility 
or  hopes  of  recovery,  being  miserable 
forever  like  the  fallen  angels.  It  is 
very  doubtful,  whether  our  first  par- 
ents, if  they  had  partaken  of  the  tree 
of  life  after  the  fall,  could  have  brought 
forth  children  of  flesh  and  bones;  f«»r 
blood  which  is  essential  to  the  organ- 
ization of  fleshly  bodies,  would  have 
been  irradicated  from  their  systems. 
Therefore,  the  Lord,  knowing  the 
evil  consequences  which  would  follow, 
if  they  partook  of  the  Tree  of  Life, 
carefully  guarded  the  same  by  Cher- 
ubims  and  a  flaming  sword. 
{To  be  continued.) 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 

{Continued.) 

inhabitants  of  the  earth  in  the   same 
way  that   He  did  the   first  pair,  but 


If  the  plurality  of  wives  be  a  Di- 
vine institution,  why  did  not  the  Lord 
make  more  than  one  female  for 
Adam  ?  Because  one  was  sufficient 
to  commence  the  work  of  peopling 
this   creation.     The    Lord   generally 


His  wisdom  dictated  their  formation 
by  another  law.  He  had  power  to 
have  formed  a  great  number  of  fe- 
males   for    Adam,    but    His    wisdom 


accomplishes    His  work  through  pre-  !  dictated  the  formation  of  only  one  as 


scribed  and  fixed  laws.  The  law 
of  generation  is  the  fixed  and  estab- 
lished method  by  which  males  and 
females  have  been  organized  out  of 
the  dust,  during  the  last  six  thousand 
years.  Before  this  law  could  take 
effect,  it  was  necessary  that  the  im- 
mortal bodies  of  the  first  pair  should 
be  formed  in  a  different  manner  from 
that  of  the  mortal  bodies  of  their  off- 
spring. The  first  pair  being  formed 
by  the  immediate  agency  of  the  Al- 
mighty, all  others  could  be  formed 
through  the  general  and  fixed  laws  of 
generation. 

God  had  power  to  have  formed  all  the 


being  sufficient  to  commence  the 
great  work  of  the  multiplication  of  the 
human  species. 

But  does  not  Jesus,  when  refering 
to  the  union  of  Adam  and  Eve,  as  one 
flesh,  convey  the  idea  that  no  man 
was  to  have  more  than  one  wife  ? 
No:  Jesus  was  speaking  of  the  Jew- 
ish  nation,  who  had  been  accustomed 
to  give  bills  of  divorcement  and  put 
away  their  wives;  He  was  showing 
them  that  Moses  suffered  such  bills 
to  be  given,  because  of  the  hardness 
of  their  hearts  ;  "but  from  the  begin- 
ning it  was  not  so."  He  told  them 
that  it  was  unlawful  for  them  to  put 


90 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


away  their  wives  except  for  the  cause 
of  fornication.  He  "said  unto  them, 
Have  ye  not  read,  that  He  which 
made  them  at  the  beginning,  made 
them  male  and  female,  and  said.  For 
this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  father 
and  mother,  and  shall  cleave  to  his 
wife  ;  and  they  twain  shall  he  one 
flesh  ?  Wherefore  they  are  no  more 
twain  but  one  flesh.  What,  there- 
fore, God  hath  joined  together,  let 
not  man  put  assunder."  (Matthew 
19:  4,  6.)  Jesus  here  vindicates  the 
sicredness  and  perpetuity  of  the  mar- 
riage covenant.  He  shows  that  the 
husband  and  wife  are  no  more  twain 
but  one  flesh.  What  are  we  to  un- 
derstand by  two  becoming  one  flesh  ? 
Does  it  mean  that  the  male  and  fe- 
male lose  their  identity  as  persons? 
By  no  means.  Such  a  circumstance 
never  happened  in  any  age  of  the 
world.  Does  it  mean  that  they  be- 
come one  merely  in  their  thoughts, 
affections,  and  minds?  No;  it  says 
they  twain  shall  be  one  flesh  :  mark 
the  expression,  "  one  jiesh"  not  one 
mind.  But  how  can  this  be  possible? 
Answer;  By  the  sacred  covenant  of 
marriage,  the  woman  freely  and  vol- 
untarily gives  herself  to  the  husband; 
she  no  longer  is  her  own,  neither  does 
she  belong  to  her  parents,  or  to  any 
one  else  ;  she  has  surrendered  herself 
wholly  to  her  husband;  she  is  his 
helpmate;  his  wife;  his  property; 
his  flesh,  just  as  much  as  the  flesh  of 
his  own  body  is  his:  hence,  Paul  says, 
"So  ought  men  to  love  their  wives  as 
their  own  bodies.  He  that  loveth  his 
wife  loveth  himself.  For  no  man  ever 
yet  hated  his  own  flesh  ;  but  nourish- 
ed and  cherisheth  it."  (Eph.  5:  28, 
29.)  Although  she  still  maintains  her 
identity  as  a  distinct  personage,  yet 
she  belongs  to  another,  and  not  to 
herself;  she  is  his  flesh  and  his 
bones.  He,  therefore,  that  will  di- 
vorce  his  own  flesh  and  his  own 
bones,  "  saving  for  the  cause  of  for- 
nication,  causeth  her  to  commit  adul- 
tery: and  whosoever  shall  marry  her 
that  is  divorced,  committeth  adulte- 
ry." (Matthew  5:  32.)  Now,  a  man 
that  will  cause  his  own  wife  which 
is,  by  marriage,  his  own  flesh,  to  com- 


mit  adultery,  will  be  considered  as  an 
adulterer  himself,  and  will  be  judged 
and  condemned  with  adulterers  ;  for 
in  him  is  the  greater  sin,  because  he 
compelled  his  own  flesh  to  commit 
adultery,  by  putting  her  away.  And 
if  he  should  marry,  after  having  put 
her  away,  it  would  be  adding  sin  to 
sin;  for,  after  having  forced  his  wife  to 
commit  adultery,  he  would  now  actu- 
ally commit  adultery  himself.  Hence, 
Jesus  says,  "  Whosoever  shall  put 
away  his  wife,  except  it  be  for  forni- 
cation,  and  shall  marry  another,  com- 
mitteth  adultery."  (Matthew  19:  9.) 
Thus  it  will  be  seen,  that  a  man 
who  unlawfully  divorces  his  wife,  al  > 
though  he  may  remain  unmarried, 
commits  a  sin  equal  to  that  of  adul- 
tery, for  he  "causeth  her  to  commit 
adultery;"  and  if  he  marry  while  in 
this  great  transgression,  he,  of  course, 
would  marry  contrary  to  the  will  of 
God,  therefore,  God  would  have  no- 
thing to  do  in  joining  him  to  another, 
consequently  his  marriage  not  being 
of  Divine  appointment,  would  be  con- 
sidered illegal,  and  therefore  adulter- 
ous, like  all  other  marriages  wherein 
the  authority  of  God  is  not  recognized. 
Some  may  pretend  to  say  that  if  it 
be  considered  adultery  to  marry 
another,  after  having  unlawfully  di- 
voiced  a  wife,  then  it  would  be  con- 
sidered adultery  to  marry  another 
without  a  divorce,  having  two  or  more 
at  the  same  time.  But  these  two 
cases  are  entirely  distinct  and  differ- 
ent in  their  nature.  In  the  first  case, 
a  man  before  he  marries  another  is 
under  great  transgression,  having  un- 
lawfully put  away  his  wife  and  caused 
her  to  commit  adultery.  While  un- 
der this  great  transgression,  God  will 
not  suffer  him  to  be  made  one  flesh 
with  another;  and  if  he  marry,  he 
marries  independent  of  the  authority 
of  Heaven,  and  therefore  commits 
adultery.  But  in  the  second  case,  if 
he  marry  anothei  when  he  is  not  un- 
der transgression,  through  the  con- 
sent of  his  first  wife,  and  under  the 
Divine  sanction,  and  by  Divine  ap- 
pointment and  authority,  as  the  holy 
Patriarchs  and  Prophets  did,  he  does 
not  commit  adultery.     Neither  Jesus 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


91 


nor  his  apostles,  have  ever  represent-  [  part  of  Man  ;  the  marriage  ordinance, 
ed  a  person  to  be  an  adulterous  man  I  being  instituted  to  restore  to  man 
lor  marrying  two  wives  and  living  that  part  which  was  taken  from  him, 
with  them,  as  had  been  practiced  by   without  which   he  could  not  be  per- 


holy  men  in  all  previous  ages.  Such 
a  practice  was  never  condemned. 
Jesus  did  not  say  that  Moses  suffered 
a  plurality  of  wives  because  of  the 
hardness  of  their  hearts,  and  that  it 
was  not  so  from  the  beginning.  No. 
He  said  directly  the  reverse.     It.  was 


lect.  When  the  bone  or  rib,  taken 
from  him,  was  restored  in  the  form 
of  a  female  and  wife,  he  could,  with 
all  propriety,  say  that  they  were  one 
flesh. 

That  this  saying  was  not  only  ap- 
plicable in  the  case  of  the  first  pair, 


for  putting  away  wives,  and  not  for  ,  but  to  all  others  who  should  after- 
taking  wives,  that  Jesus  condemned  j  wards  be  married  by  divine  appoint- 
them.  This  putting  away  of  wives  ment,  is  evident  from  the  declaration 
was  not  only  condemned  under  the' that  a  man,  for  this  very  cause, 
Gospel,  but  it  was  considered  a  great  should  leave  father  and  mother  and 
evil  hundreds  of  years  before  Christ,  cleave  unto  his  wife,  and  they  should 
Hear  the   testimony  of  the   Prophet   be  one  flesh. 

Malachi  :  "Therefore  take  heed  to  I  But  there  is  still  an  additional 
your  spirit,  and  let  none  deal  treach-  sense  wherein  the  husband  and  wife 
erously  against  the  wife  of  his  youth,  become  one.  They  become  one 
For  the  Lord,  the  God  of  Israel,  saith  J  flesh  in  their  children.  The  flesh  of 
that  He  hateth  putting  away."  (Mai.  I  both  father  and  mother  becomes 
2:  15,  lfi.)  [amalgamated  in  one  in  each  of  their 

As  it  was  considered  a  very  great !  offspring.  Here  is  a  union  of  the 
evil  for  a  husband  to  put  away  his  |  flesh  of  the  father  with  that  of  the 
wife,  so,  likewise,  it  was  very  sinful '  mother  that  can  never  be  separated — 
for  a  wife   to  put  away  her  husband,   a  union  of  the   flesh   of  two   in  one 


Jesus  says,  "  If  a  woman  shall  put 
away  her  husband,  and  be  married 
to  another,  she  committeth  adultery." 
(Mark  10:    12.) 

In  addition  to  the  sense  already 
illustiated,  a  husband  and  wife  be- 
come one  flesh  in  another  respect. 
They  not  only  become  one  flesh  by 
the  wife's  giving  herself  wholly  to 
the  husband,  but  originally  the  wo- 
man was  actually  made  out  of  the 
bone  and  flesh  of  Adam.  The  Lord 
in  forming  a  wife  for  Adam  did  not 
see  proper  to  construct  her  entirely 
out  of  the  ground,  but  He  took  one  of 
Adam's  ribs,  and,  connecting   with  it 


body — a  union  as  perfect  as  that  of 
Adam's  rib  before  it.  was  extracted 
from  his  body  — a  union  that  no  power 
but  death  can  dissolve — a  union  that 
will  be  eternal  after  the  resurrection. 
Hence  the  husband  and  wife  become 
one  flesh  in  their  children  eternally. 
The  union  of  husband  and  wife, 
therefore,  should  be  as  inseparable 
as  their  own  flesh  and  bones  incor- 
porated in  their  children  ;  it  should 
be  as  eternal  as  the  immortal  bodies 
of  their  children  after  the  resurrec- 
tion. No  wonder,  then,  that  the 
Lord  "hates  putting  away:"  it  is  a 
violation   of  the  eternal  covenant  of 


the    necessary    materials,   formed    a  j  marriage  ;    it  is  the  overthrowing  of 
woman,  and  brought  her  to  the  Man ;   the  great  foundation  of  eternal  king- 


this  curious  circumstance  caused 
Adam  to  exclaim,  "  This  is  now  bone 
of  my  bone,  and  flesh  of  my  flesh  : 
she  shall  be  called  Woman,  because 
she  was  taken  out  of  Man.  There- 
fore shall  a  man  leave  his  father  and 
his  mother,  and  shall  cleave  unto  his 
wife  :  and  they  shall  be  one  flesh." 
(Gen.  2:     23,  24.)      The    Woman, 


doms  :  it  is  the  destruction  of  an  end- 
less increase  of  posterity,  and  the  re- 
jection of  the  grand  Patriarchal  and 
family  order  of  the  Heavens  ;  it  is 
the  severing  assunder  of  that  which 
God  has  joined  together  for  eter- 
nity — the  rending  in  twain  of  his 
own  flesh  and  his  own  bones  which 
God  had  united  to  be  one  forever; 


therefore,  by  creation  was  originally!  and  in  fine,  it  is  the  rejection  of  the 


92 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


Woman — "  the  glory  of  the  Man'''' — 
the  only  means  that  God  has  ordain- 
ed for  the  peopling  of  Worlds — the 
only  stepping  stone  to  an  endless  in- 
crease of  dominions — the  only  medi- 
um of  an  endless  continuation  of  irn- 
morlal  lives.  What,  therefore,  God 
has  joined  together  as  one  flesh,  let 
no  human  authority  dare  put  as- 
sunder. 

But  does  not  the  saying,  that  "  they 
twain  shall  be  one  flesh,"  indicate 
that  God  did  not  design  more  than 
two  to  become  one  flesh  ?  No  :  it 
conveys  no  such  idea.  Jesus  says, 
"I  and  my  Father  are  one."  (John 
10:  30.)  Now  this  saying  did  not 
prevent  others  from  becoming  one 
with  the  Father  and  Son  ;  it  was 
just  as  possible  for  three,  or  four,  or 
a  hundred,  or  any  other  number  of 
his  disciples,  however  great,  to  be- 
come one  with  Jesus  and  His  Father, 
as  it  was  for  they  twain  to  be  one. 
Indeed,  Jesus  prays  to  the  Father  to 
make  all  his  disciples  one,  even  as 
they  were  one.  Therefore  because 
a  man  becomes  one  flesh  with  one 
wife,  it  does  not  prevent  him  from 
becoming  one  flesh  with  a  second. 
When  Jacob  became  one  flesh  with 
Leah,  it  did  not  prevent  him  from 
marrying  Rachel,  and  Rilhah,  and 
Zilpah,  and  from  becoming  one  flesh 
with  each  of  them.  Each  of  the  lat- 
ter three  were  as  much  his  as  the 
first.  The  flesh  of  Jacob  and  Rachel 
was  incorporated  as  one  in  the  bodies 
of  Joseph  and  Benjamin,  as  much  as 
the  flesh  of  Jacob  and  Leah  was  in 
Judah  and  Simeon.  If  it  could  be 
said  of  Jacob  and  Leah,  that  "They 
twain  shall  be  one  flesh,"  the  same 
saying  could  be  applied,  with  equal 
propriety,  to  Jacob  and  Rachel — to 
Jacob  and  Bilhah — to  Jacob  and 
Zilpah  ;  or,  if  he  had  been  paired 
with  seven  hundred  wives,  as  Solo- 
mon was,  it  would  have  been  equally 
applicable  to  each  pair. 

In  the  writings  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, we  have  no  particular  instan- 
ces mentioned  of  the  plurality  of 
wives,  and  from  this  circumstance, 
some  have  supposed  that  such  a 
practice  did  not  exist ;  but  we  reply, 


that  there  are  several  books  of  the 
Old  Testament,  also,  wherein  no  in- 
stances of  such  a  practice,  are  re- 
corded, and  yet  it  is  well  known  that 
such  an  order  was  in  existence. 
Therefore,  because  the  writers  of 
the  New  Testament  have  failed  to 
mention  instances,  is  no  evidence 
whatever  against  the  continuation  of 
that  divine  institution.  Why  should 
some  sixteen  or  eighteen  of  the  in- 
spired writers  of  the  Old  Testament 
be  entirely  silent  in  regard  to  a  prac- 
tice which  existed  under  their  imme- 
diate notice  ?  The  silence  of  the 
eight  writers  of  the  New  Testament 
is  no  more  proof  against  the  exist- 
ence of  the  plurality  custom  under 
the  Christian  dispensation,  than  the 
silence  of  double  that  number  of 
writers,  is  against  its  existence  un- 
der former  dispensations. 

It  is  supposed  by  some,  because 
the  term  wife,  instead  of  wives,  is 
used  in  the  New  Testament  that  no 
Christians  had  more  than  one.  But 
no  such  inference  can  be  justly  drawn 
on  that  account.  For  who  does  not 
know  that  the  greatest  majority  of 
the  Old  Testament  writers,  have  used 
the  term  wife  in  the  singular  number 
as  well  as  those  under  the  gospel  ? 
There  were  many  people  under 
every  dispensation,  who  had  but  one 
wife;  and  for  this  cause,  instructions 
were  most  usually  given  in  terms 
and  language,  suited  to  the  general 
condition  of  the  people,  taken  as  a 
whole.  When  Moses  gave  laws  con- 
cerning domestic  relations,  he  most 
generally  used  the  term  wife,  instead 
of  wives,  knowing  that,  in  the  most  of 
cases,  the  laws  regulating  one  wife, 
would  be  equally  applicable  to  a  plu- 
rality.  Hence,  he  uses  the  singular 
number  in  his  instructions  in  rela- 
tion to  a  divorce:  the  same  language 
is  used  against  coveting  a  neighbor's 
wife;  and  yet  these  laws  were  de- 
signed to  take  effect  among  polygam- 
ists,  as  well  as  among  families  prac- 
ticing the  one  wife  system.  Many 
other  laws  were  applicable  to  both 
systems,  and  yet  Moses  uses  the 
singular  term  instead  of  the  plural. 
This  same  custom  continued  among 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


93 


the  writers  after  Moses;  and  it  was  i  during  the  last  seventeen  centuries, 
very  seldom  that  the  term  wives,  in  j  and  the  same  as  He  tolerated  the 
relation  to  individual  families,  was  law  of  divorce  among  the  Israelites, 
used,  unless  in  regard  to  some  cir-  because  ofthe  hardness  of  their  hearts, 
eumstance  or  event  which  espec-  He  has  suffered  the  wicked  to  marry, 
ially  required  the  language  to  he  according  to  human  laws,  and  human 
in  the  plural.  The  New  Testa-  authority  in  order  that  mankind  might 
ment  writers,  in  giving  rules  and  re-  not  become  extinct,  the  same  as  he 
gulations  for  the  government  of  fam-  i  suffered  the  children  of  Jacob  to  sell 
ilies,  have  followed  the  same  custom  their  younger  brother  to  the  Ishmael- 
as  those  who  preceeded  them,  using  ites  in  order  that  they  might  not  be- 
the  singular  number,  considering  come  extinct  by  the  (amine.  There 
that  what  was  applicable  to  one  wife  j  are  many  things  that  God  permits  be- 
was,  in  most  of  cases,  applicable  to  a  cause  of  the  hardness  of  the  hearts  of 
plurality.  This  method  of  expressing  mankind,  that  they  will  be  condemn- 
themselves,  therefore,  is  not  the  least  ed  for  in  the  day  of  judgment.  Jo- 
evidence  against  the  existence  of  this  seph's  brethren  were  condemned  for 
order  of  things  among  Christians,  their  acts,  but  God  caused  good  to 
Indeed,  we  know,  that  if  the  Jewish  '  result  therefrom  ;  this,  however,  did 
nation  kept  their  law  in  relation  to  ,  not  clear  them  from  their  guilt.  So 
the  childless  dead,  there  must  have  j  it  is  in  regard  to  those  who  have  ven- 
been  thousands  of  polygamists  among  tured  to  marry  without  divine  author- 
thetn  when  Christianity  was  introduc- ;  ity,  God  will  cause  good  to  result 
ed  into  their  midst.  j  from  the  same  in  the  preservation  of 

The  object  of  marriage,  as  has  been  ;  the    human    species   upon   the  earth, 


abundantly  proved,  is  to  multiply  the 
human  species  and  instruct  them  in 
every  principle  of  righteousness  that 
they  may  become  like  God,  and  be  one 


but  the  nations  of  the  wicked  who 
have  thus  violated  that  divine  institu- 
tion, will  be  cast  into  hell,  and  will 
lose  the  blessings   and    privileges   of 


with  Him,  and  inherit  all  the  fulness 'the  righteous  who  have  married  by 
of  His  glory.  This  being  the  real  !  divine  authority.  Therefore,  the  fact 
object  of  marriage,  a  question  natur-  'that  God  does  not  join  the  wicked  in 
ally  arises  have  the  wicked  the  same  i  marriage,  is  an  evidence  that  they  have 
right  to  the  blessings  of  a  numerous    not  the  same  privileges  as   the  right- 


posterity,  under  this  divine  institution, 
as  the  righteous?  We  answer,  that 
they  have   not.     And  we  shall  now 


eous  in  this   holy  matrimonial   ordin- 
ance. 

Secondly,  why  does  not  God  appro- 


proceed  to  show  from   the   scriptures  j  bate   the     marriages   of  the    wicked 


that  the  Lord  has  made  a  great  di: 
tinction  in  regard  to  this  thing,  be- 
tween  the  wicked  and  the  righteous. 
First,  We  have  no  example  of  the 
wicked  ever  being  married  by  divine 


equally  with  the  righteous?  Because 
by  their  wickedness,  they  not  only 
bring  damnation  upon  themselves,  but 
upon  their  children  also.  Tfte  chil- 
ren   seeing   the   wicked   practices  of 


authority.      Where   have    we   an   in-  j  their  parents,  would  be  very  likely  to 


stance  of  this  kind?  We  have  abun 
dance  of  instances  where  the  wicked 
have  been  married;  but  were  these 
marriages  by  divine  appointment? 
Were  they  joined  together  of  God? 
Were  the  ministers  who  officiated  di- 
rected by  revelation  to  join  them  to- 
gether as  one  flesh  ?  We  have  no 
instance  of  the  kind  in  the  divine  or- 
acles. It  is  true,  the  scriptures  toler- 
ate such  a  practice,  the  same  as  God 
has  tolerated  the  illegal  marriages, 


follow  their  evil  footsteps.  We  see 
this  most  abundantly  exemplified,  not 
only  in  wicked  families,  but  among 
wicked  nations.  The  nations  who 
forme)  ly  inhabited  the  land  of  Canaan 
were  unworthy  of  the  ordinance  of 
marriage  or  of  posterity,  because  their 
children  beheld  the  wicked  examples 
of  their  parents  and  became  worse 
and  worse  until  their  iniquity  was 
full,  when  the  Lord  in  order  to  put  a 
stop  to  their  unlawful  marriages,  and 


94 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


the  multiplication  of  evil  doers,  was 
compelled  to  destroy  husbands,  and 
wives,  and  children  to  the  number 
of  many  millions.  Hear  what 
the  Lord  said  to  the  children  of  Israel, 
concerning  them,  "  But  of  the  cities 
of  these  people,  which  the  Lord  thy 
God  doth  give  thee  for  an  inheritance 
thou  shalt  save  alive  nothing  that 
breatheth  :  but  thou  shalt  utterly  de- 
stroy them  ;  namely,  the  Hittites,  and 
the  Amorites,  the  Canaanites,  and 
the  Perizzites,  the  Hivites,  and  the 
Jebusites  ;  as  the  Lord  thy  God  hath 
commanded  thee  ;  that  they  teach  you 
not  to  do  after  all  their  abominations, 
which  they  have  done  unto  their  gods; 
so  should  ye  sin  against  the  Lord 
your  God."  (Deut.  20:  16,  17,  18.) 
When  Abram  first  came  into  that  land 
the  Lord  told  him  that  their  iniquity 
was  "not  yet  full."  (Gen.  15.)  But 
some  four  or  five  centuries  after  this, 
through  the  evil  practices  of  their 
fathers,  the  children  had  become  fully 
ripened  in  sin.  and  had  filled  up  the 
measure  of  their  cup.  And  to  pre- 
vent the  earth  from  being  overrun 
with  this  evil  race,  and  corrupting 
Israel  with  their  abominable  practices, 
it  was  necessary  to  utterly  destroy 
every  soul  that  breathed.  Instead  of 
the  Lord's  considering  these  nations 
fit  to  marry  He  did  not  consider  them 
worthy  to  live  or  their  children  either, 
Therefore  He  destroyed  them,  and 
gave  their  land  to  His  people,  and 
promised  them,  on  conditions  of  right- 
eousness,  that  He  would  greatly  bless 
their  land,  and  increase  their  flocks 
and  herds,  and  their  riches  and  sub- 
stance Moses  sa»d  unto  them  "The 
Lord  shall  make  thee  plenteous  in 
goods,  in  the  fruit  of  thy  hod;/,  and 
in  the  fruit  of  thy  cattle,  and  in  the  fruit 
of  thy  ground,  in  the  land  which  the 
Lord  sware  unto  thy  fathers  to  give 
thee."  (Deut.  28:   11) 

Israel,  then,  because  of  righteous- 
ness was  considered  worthy  to  be 
blessed  with  an  increase  of  children, 
to  be  multiplied  exceedingly,  and  be- 
come as  the  sands  upon  the  sea  shore 
innumerable  ;  but  they  were  consid- 
ered  worthy  of  this  blessing  only  on 
conditions    o^  righteousness  :    for  if 


they  turned  away  from  the  Lord,  they 
would  be  no  better  qualified  to  save 
their  children,  than  other  nations. 
Should  they  forsake  righteousness 
Moses  said  that  they  also  should  be 
visited  with  every  kind  of  plague  and 
curse  ;  and  among  other  calamities 
he  says,  "  Ye  shall  be  left  few  in  num- 
ber, whereas  ye  were  as  the  stars  of 
heaven  for  multitude."  "  And  it  shall 
come  to  pass  that  as  the  Lord  rejoiced 
over  you  to  do  you  good,  and  to  mid- 
tiply  you ;  so  the  Lord  will  rejoice 
over  you  to  destroy  you,  and  to  bring 
you  to  nought."  (Deut.  28  :  62,  63.) 
Here  then  we  see,  that  it  is  a  cause 
of  rejoicing  with  the  Lord  to  multiply 
the  righteous,  and  to  diminish  the 
wicked.  Multiplication,  therefore, 
was  originally  only  designed  for  the 
righteous  ;  but  the  wicked  have  pre. 
sumed  to  take  this  blessing  to  them- 
selves, and  have  thus  been  the  in- 
struments in  bringing  hundreds  of 
millions  into  the  world  which  God  is 
obliged  from  time  to  time  to  cut  off 
and  send  to  hell  in  order  that  the 
world  may  not  be  brought  wholly  un- 
der their  dominion,  and  the  curse  de- 
vour the  whole  earth  as  in  the  days 
of  Noah. 

The  angels  who  kept  not  their 
first  estate  are  not  permitted  to  mul- 
tiply. Why?  Because  of  their 
wickedness.  If  granted  this  privi- 
lege, they  would  teach  their  offspring 
the  same  wicked  malicious  principles 
by  which  they,  themselves,  are  gov- 
erned ;  they  would  teach  them  to 
fight  against  God,  and  against  every 
thing  else  that  was  good,  and  great, 
and  glorious.  This  would  not  only 
make  all  their  offspring  miserable, 
but  it  would  greatly  enlarge  the  do- 
minions of  darkness  ;  and  to  prevent 
all  these  great  calamities  and  evils, 
God  has  wisely  ordained  to  withhold 
marriage  and  increase  of  posterity 
entirely  from  them. 

God  is  angry  and  displeased  with 
wicked  men  and  nations,  as  well  as 
with  the  fallen  angels,  and  though  he 
suffers  them  to  marry  and  to  multiply, 
yet  He  will  bring  them  to  judgment 
for  these  things  ;  and  will  punish  them 
Co:  bringing  posterity  into  the  world 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


95 


in  all  their  corruption  and  wicked- 
ness :  He  will  punish  them  with  a 
double  punishment,  not  only  for  their 
own  evil  deeds,  but  because  they 
have  taught  their  children  the  same. 
Their  children  must  suffer  as  well  as 
they,  because  their  parents  ventured 
to  marry  in  unrighteousness.  They 
and  their  children  in  all  their  gene- 
rations  are  preparing  themselves  for 
the  society  of  the  fallen  angels  ;  and 
with  them  they  will  dwell,  and  like 
them,  they  will  be  placed  in  a  con- 
dition where  they  can  no  more  be 
permitted  to  multiply.  Having  once 
married  in  unrighteousness  and 
brought  eternal  ruin  and  misery 
upon  their  seed,  the  Lord  will  no 
longer  suffer  them  to  enlarge  their 
dominions  of  wickedness,  and  entail 
unhappiness  and  wretchedness  upon 
immortal  souls.  They  have  forfeited 
all  right  to  wives  or  the  law  of 
increase,  by  their  abuses  of  these 
things  here  in  this  life. 

When  Noah  and  his  sons  were 
building  the  ark  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth  were  marrying  and  giving  in 
marriage,  but  their  marriages  were 
all  illegal  and  they  only  multiplied 
their  posterity  to  be  cut  off  and  to  per- 
ish out  of  the  earth.  God  did  not 
sanction  their  marriages,  neither  was 
he  pleased  with  them  or  their  chil- 
dren. Noah  and  his  sons  were  the 
only  persons  worthy  of  wives  or 
children  ;  they  alone  had  a  divine 
right  to  marry;  and  they  alone  had 
any  legal  claim  on  the  Lord  in  behalf 
of  their  children.  The  most  of  the 
people  in  the  days  of  the  patriarchs 
had  turned  away  from  the  true  God 
to  the  worship  of  idols,  consequently 
the  marriages  of  all  such  were  unau- 
thorized, and  their  illegitimate  chil- 
dren were  multiplied  upon  the  earth 
to  curse  the  earth  with  the  idolatry  of 
their  fathers.  David  says  that  "  the 
wicked  shall  be  turned  into  hell,  and 
all  the  nations  that  forget  God."  Can 
we  then,  for  one  moment,  suppose  that 
God  is  pleased  with  the  multiplication 
of  the  wicked  ?  Does  it  please  God 
to  have  the  wicked  marry,  when,  in 
so  doing,  they  only  increase  the  num- 
ber who  must  be  cast  into  hell  ?     Far 


be  it  from  us  to  impute  such  wicked- 
ness  to  God.  That  which  God  re- 
quires of  the  wicked,  in  the  first 
place,  is,  to  repent  and  become  right- 
eous, and  then  to  marry  and  multiply 
a  righteous  posterity  upon  the  earth  : 
and  if  they  will  not  do  this,  it  would  be 
far  more  tolerable  for  them  in  the  day 
of  judgment,  if  they  would  remain 
unmarried,  for  then  they  alone  would 
suffer;  but  to  be  the  instruments  of 
bringing  their  own  children  to  eter- 
nal ruin  will  greatly  add  to  their  tor- 
ments. Who  can,  then,  for  one  mo- 
ment, believe  that  the  wicked  have 
equal  privileges  with  the  righteous 
in  the  divine  institution  of  marriage? 
Who  can,  with  the  word  of  God  be- 
fore them,  believe  that  the  wicked 
ought  to  multiply  upon  the  earth  and 
raise  up  candidates  for  the  devil's 
kingdom?  No  person  can  believe 
this,  who  believes  the  Bible. 

Hear  what  the  prophet  Isaiah  says, 
concerning  the  children  of  the  wicked: 
he  declares,  "The  seed  of  evildoers 
shall  never  be  renowned.  Prepare 
slaughter  for  his  children,  for  the 
iniquity  of  their  fathers  ;  that  they  do 
not  rise,  nor  possess  the  land,  nor  fill 
the  face  of  the  world  with  cities." 
(Isa.  14:  20,  21.)  Now  would  it  not 
be  far  better  for  them  not  to  marry 
than  to  be  the  means  of  bringing 
both  temporal  and  eternal  judgments 
upon  their  children  S  God  is  certainly 
not  pleased  with  their  increase,  or 
else  He  would  not  prepare  slaughter 
for  their  children  to  prevent  them 
from  filling  the  world  with  cities;  if 
He  were  pleased  with  their  increase, 
the  more  cities  they  filled  the  better. 

The  Psalmist,  in  speaking  of  both 
the  righteous  and  the  wicked  says, 
that  "Such  as  be  blessed  of  Him 
shall  inherit  the  earth  ;  and  they  that 
be  cursed  of  Him  shall  be  cut  off." 
And  again  he  says,  "  He  (the  right* 
eous)  is  ever  merciful  and  lendeth  ; 
and  his  seed  is  blessed.  Depart  from 
evil  and  do  good  ;  and  dwell  forever- 
more.  For  the  Lord  loveth  judgment 
and  forsaketh  not  his  saints :  they 
are  preserved  forever  :  but  the  seed 
of  the  wicked  shall  be  cut  off.  The 
righteous  shall  inherit  the   land  and 


96 


CONTENTS. 


dwell  therein  forever."  (Ps.  37.) 
Thus  we  can  see  what  the  design  of 
the  Lord  is  in  regard  to  the  seed  of i 
the  wicked  :  they  are  to  utteily  perish 
out  of  the  earth.  Not  so  with  the 
righteous:  God  has  promised  that 
they  shall  not  only  inherit  the  earth 
in  this  life,  but  they  shall  "dwell 
therein  forever." 

In  a  former  part  of  this  treatise,  it 
was  shown  that  adulterers  forfeited 
their  lives  in  ancient  times,  the  rea- 
son was  because  they  were  not  con- 
sidered  worthy  of  wives  or  children 
to  perpetuate  their  names  among  the 
righteous ;  and  being  unworthy  of 
these  blessings,  they  were  unworthy 
of  life  ;  hence,  they  were  commanded 
to  be  destroyed  that  they  might  not 
transfer  their  wicked  examples  to  a 
risin"-  generation.  And  God  was  so 
displeased  with  adulterers  that  He 
prohibited  their  posterity  from  the  en- 
joyment of  the  blessings  of  His  peo- 
ple. Hence,  it  is  said,  "A  bastard 
shall  not  enter  into  the  congregation 
of  the  Lord;  even  to  his  tenth  gen- 
eration shall  he  not  enter  inlo  the  con- 
gregation  of  the  Lord."  (Deut. 
23:  2.) 

The  Jews,  as  a  nation,  were  adul- 
terers at  the  time  Christianity  was 
introduced  among  them.  Jesus  calls 
them  an  "adulterous  generation." 
Consequently  they  had  forfeited  all 
right  and  title  to  raise  up  seed  unto 
Abraham.  They  pretended  to  be 
Abraham's  seed,  but  they  had  forfeited 
that  title  by  their  wickedness  and 
adulteries:  therefore,  "Jesus  saith 
unto  them,  if  ye  were  Abraham's 
children,  ye  would  do  the  works  ol 
Abraham."  "Ye  are  of  your  father, 
the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of  your  father 
ye  will  do."  { John,  8:  33,  39,  44.) 
Being  the  chUdren  of  the  devil,  they 
had  forfeited  all  right  to  the  di- 
vine institution  of  marriage.  Instead 
of  its  being  pleasing  to  God  for  them 


to  pretend  to  be  Abraham's  children 
and  to  multiply  and  spread  forth  their 
posterity,  Jesus  said  unto  them, 
"Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep  not 
for  me,  but  weep  for  yourselves,  and 
for  your  children.  For,  behold,  the 
days  are  coming,  in  the  which  they 
shall  say,  Blessed  are  the  barren,  and 
the  wombs  that  never  bare,  and  the 
paps  lhat  never  gave  suck.  Then 
shall  they  begin  to  say  to  the  moun- 
tains, fall  on  us;  and  to  the  hills, 
cover  us."  (Luke  23:  28,  29,  30.) 
They  had  forfeited  the  blessings  of 
wives  and  children,  and  even  of  life 
itself,  because  they  were  an  "adulter- 
ous generation,"  and  full  of  all  manner 
of  wickedness.  God  would  sooner 
of  the  very  "stones  raise  up  children 
unto  Abraham,"  than  to  have  such 
wicked  characters  undertake  to  marry 
and  multiply.  Who  then  cannot  per- 
ceive that  God  makes  a  very  great 
distinction  between  the  wicked  and 
the  righteous  in  regard  to  marriage 
and  the  multiplication  of  the  human 
species  ?  Those  blessings  were 
originally  intended  for  the  righteous, 
and  for  the  righteous  only,  but  the 
wicked  have  stepped  forward  to  their 
own  condemnation,  and  claimed  the 
privileges  of  the  righteous  ;  bringing 
temporal  and  eternal  judgments  upon 
their  generations.  Hence,  that  which 
is  a  blessing  to  the  righteous,  will 
prove  a  cursing  to  the  wicked.  The 
ark  of  God  while  it  remained  among 
the  righteous  brought  blessings  and 
glory,  and  honor,  and  great  joy;  but 
when  it  was  taken  by  the  Philistines, 
who  had  no  business  with  it,  it  brought 
cursing,  and  plague,  and  desolation, 
and  death  upon  their  numerous  hosts. 
So  will  God  punish  the  wicked  for 
daring  to  claim  a  divine  institution, 
which  was  only  intended  for  the 
righteous. 

(To  be  continued.) 


CONTENTS. 


The  Pre-existence  of  Man. 
Celestial  Marriage 


81 
89 


WASHINGTON  CITY,   D.   C. 

Edited  and  Published  bt  Onsos  Pratt, 

at  $1  per  annum,  invariably  in  advance. 


«S>  <i!SiiiJ) 


All  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  He 
lifteth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains.— Isaiah  xvm,  3. 


Vol.  I. 


JULY,  1853. 


No.  7. 


THE  PRE-EXISTENCE  OF  MAN. 

(  Continued.) 


7.3.  As  the  children  of  Adam  were 
conceived  in  sin,  and  born  into  the 
world  by  the  fall,  they  became  sub- 
ject to  the  same  penalty,  inflicted  upon 
Adam,  that  is,  they  became  subject 
to  death,  as  saith  the  Apostle  Paul, 
"  By  one  man  sin  entered  into  the 
world,  and  death  by  sin."  (Rom.  5  : 
12.)  Also,  in  another  passage,  he 
says,  "For  since  by  man  came  death, 
by  man  came  also  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead.  For  as  in  Adam  all 
die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be 
made  alive."  (1  Cor.  21,  22.)  These 
passages  clearly  prove  that  the  sin 
of  Adam  brought  death  upon  all  his 
posterity.  Was  it  just  that  all  of 
Adam's  children  should  suffer  death 
because  of  his  sin  ?  Or  did  death 
come  upon  the  children,  not  because 
justice  required  it,  but  as  a  natural 
result,  following  Adam's  sin  which 
could  not  be  avoided  ?  Misery  and 
woe  are  frequently  entailed  upon 
posterity  by  the  wickedness  of  pa- 
rents. Diseases,  contracted  by  the 
licentious  conduct  of  parents,  become 
hereditary,  and  are  transferred  to  the 
children  for  many  generations.  Now 
the  parents  who,  by  their  sins, 
brought  upon  themselves  misery  and 
wretchedness,  suffer  the  penalty  of 
their  own  doings  as  a  matter  of  jus- 
tice ;  they  have  been  unvirtuous  and 
sinned,  justice  punishes  them  with 
loathsome    painful    diseases :    these 


diseases   are   inherited  by  the    chil- 
dren  ;  they  suffer  in  body  equally  with 
the  parents.     No  one  will  pretend  to 
say,   that  justice    requires   the    chil- 
dren  to  suffer;  that  these  aggravating 
complaints     are  justly  inherited  :  no 
one    would,  for  one  moment,  suppose 
that  justice  could   not   be   magnified 
nor  exercise  its  claims,  unless  the  chil- 
dren  were  afflicted  for  their  parents- 
sin.     All  would,  at  once,  say  that  the 
sufferings  of  the   children  were   un- 
justly inflicted,  as  a  consequence  of 
the  sin  of  the  parents  ;  a  consequence 
too,  which  could  not  well  be  avoided. 
So  likewise,  death    came    into  our 
world   by   the    transgression   of   our 
parents  ;  they  justly  suffered  that  ca- 
lamity ;  but  death  became  hereditary  . 
Adam  transferred  death   to   his   pos- 
terity, not  for  any  sin   that   they  had 
committed,  but  as  a  consequence  of 
his  own  sin.    Adam  was  the  means  of 
their  suffering  death  unjustly,  as  the 
legitimate  consequence  of    his   own 
sin.     Justice,  therefore,  does  not  de- 
mand   that  any  of  the    posterity  of 
Adam  should  die,  because  of  his  sin. 
Justice    demanded    that   Adam    only 
should    die.      But    the    posterity   of 
Adam   do   suffer  death,  not   because 
justice  requires  it,  but  because  death 
is  hereditary,  and  follows  as  a  natu- 
ral  result  of  the  fall,  in  the  same 
manner,  as  certain  diseases  are  un- 
justly inherited   by  children,   as    a 


98 


THE   PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


natural  result  of  the  licentiousness  of 
their  parents. 

76.  Adam  not  only  was  to  receive 
a  temporal  death  or  a  dissolution  of 
body  and  spirit,  but  he  became  dead 
spiritually ;  he  was  banished  from 
the  garden  of  Eden  and  from  the  pre- 
sence of  the  Lord  ;  he  became  sub- 
ject to  the  will  of  the  Devil  by  whom 
he  had  been  overcome  ;  he  was  dead 
as  to  every  thing  pertaining  to  right- 
eousness or  happiness  ;  no  act  of  his 
could  ever  atone  for  his  sin ;  no  plan 
that  he  could  devise  would  ever  en- 
able him  to  recover  himself  from  his 
lost  and  fallen  state  ;  no  scheme  that 
he  could  form  would  reorganize  his 
body  from  the  dust  and  bring  it  up 
from  the  grave.  To  dust  his  body 
must  return,  there,  for  aught  he  knew, 
to  sleep  the  eternal  sleep  of  death. 
No  sound  of  redemption  was  at  first 
sounded  in  his  ears;  no  tidings  to 
kindle  a  ray  of  hope  within  his  breast : 
the  darkness  of  despair  sat  coldly  on 
his  brow,  while  a  never  ending  future 
opened  its  horrible  gates  to  his  hope, 
less  vision.  Death  sat  enthroned  in 
his  mortal  tabernacle — and  the  spirit 
must  be  torn  from  its  earthly  cover- 
ing, and  bound  in  everlasting  chains 
of  darkness  under  the  dominion  of 
the  fallen  angels.  The  death  passed 
upon  Adam,  then,  was  an  endless 
death  of  both  body  and  spirit — the  body 
to  moulder  in  dust  to  rise  no  more — 
the  spirit  to  dwell  in  endless  dark- 
ness and  misery.  This  was  the  pen- 
alty, when  considered  separate  and 
apart  from  the  atonement. 

But  this  is  not  all.  Both  a  tempo- 
ral and  spiritual  death  was  inherited 
by  all  his  descendants.  And  if  God 
had  not  provided  a  plan  of  redemption, 
all  mankind  would  have  been  miser- 
able forever,  because  of  the  conse- 
quences entailed  upon  them  by  the 
sin  of  their  first  parents  ;  their  misery 
and  wretchedness  would  have  been 
as  great  as  though  they  themselves 
had  committed  the  sin.  Their  spirits, 
though  pure  and  innocent,  before  they 
entered  the  body,  would  become 
contaminated  by  entering  a  fallen 
tabernacle ;  not  contaminated  by 
their   own    sins,  but   by   their  con- 


nection with  a  body  brought  into 
the  world  by  the  fall,  earthly,  fallen, 
imperfect,  and  corrupt  in  its  nature, 
A  spirit,  having  entered  such  a 
tabernacle,  though  it  may  commit 
no  personal  sins,  is  unfit  to  return 
again  into  the  presence  of  a  holy 
Being,  unless  there  is  an  atone- 
ment made  ;  hence,  without  an  atone- 
ment all  infants  would  have  been  end- 
lessly lost,  because  of  the  natural  con- 
sequences of  Adam's  sin.  It  is  true, 
justice  would  not  demand,  that  any 
spirit  should  suffer  because  of  the 
sins  of  its  parents,  but  the  first 
parents  brought  this  endless  d^ath  of 
body  and  spirit  upon  their  offspring 
unjustly,  as  a  natural  evil  resulting 
from  the  fall  that  could  not  be  other- 
wise. They  suffer  it,  not  as  a  pen- 
alty for  Adam's  sin,  but  as  an  infant 
suffers  disease  inherited  through  the 
unvirtuous  conduct  of  its  progenitors. 
If  it  should  be  supposed,  however, 
that  the  spirits,  being  innocent,  were 
forbidden  to  leave  their  habitation, 
and  come  down  and  enter  into  fallen 
tabernacles,  under  the  penalty  of 
spiritual  death  ;  and  if  it  should  also 
be  supposed,  that  these  spirits,  being 
agents,  came  in  violation  of  the  law, 
then  the  nature  of  the  foregoing 
reasonings  would  be,  in  some  mea- 
sure, changed,  and  each  one  would 
suffer,  if  it  were  not  for  the  atonement, 
an  endless  spiritual  death  as  a  result 
of  his  own  disobedience  to  the  com- 
mandment not  to  enter  a  fallen  taber- 
nacle. But  as  there  is  no  account  of 
any  such  law  being  enacted,  intended 
as  a  warning  to  spirits  not  to  defile 
themselves  by  entering  a  fallen  body, 
it  therefore,  must  be  concluded,  that 
the  death  of  both  spirit  and  body  are 
hereditary  evils,  entailed  unjustly  upon 
us  by  our  first  parents.  These  hered- 
itary sufferings  give  us  a  knowledge 
of  evil,  the  same  as  partaking  of  the 
forbidden  fruit  gave  Adam  a  know- 
ledge of  the  same  principle.  These 
hereditary  sufferings  also  give  us  a 
knowledge  of  justice,  in  the  same 
manner  as  Adam  learned  the  nature 
of  justice  by  suffering  for  his  own 
transgressions.  Adam  caused  his 
offspring  to  partake  of  the  bitter  un- 


THE   PRE-EXISTENCE   OF    MAN. 


99 


justly,  and  without  their  consent  or 
agency,  and  they  thus  learn  the  na- 
ture of  misery;  while  he,  himself, 
learned  the  nature  of  bitter  or  misery 
justly  as  a  penalty  for  his  own  sin. 

77.  In  the  preceding  paragraph, 
we  have  examined  the  doleful  effects, 
resulting  from  Adam's  sin,  when  con- 
sidered  without  any  reference  to  the 
■atonement ;  from  which  it  will  be  per- 
ceived,  first,  that  Adam's  sin  placed 
him  and  his  descendants  under  the 
captivity  and  power  of  the  Devil, 
wherein  all  mankind  became  spiritu- 
ally dead  forever;  having  perished 
from  that  which  is  good,  they  became 
subject  to  the  will  of  the  Devil,  and 
thus  became  lost  eternally.  Secondly, 
that  Adam's  sin  shut  all  mankind  out 
from  the  presence  of  God  no  more  to 
return.  Thirdly,  that  Adam's  sin 
brought  death  into  the  world,  even 
the  death  of  the  body,  or  in  other 
words,  an  eternal  separation  of  body 
and  spirit,  the  body  returning  to  dust 
to  rise  no  more,  and  the  spirit  re- 
maining in  chains  of  darkness  to  be 
happy  no  more.  These  fearful  con- 
sequences resulted  from  the  fall. 
From  these  consequences  man  could 
not  redeem  himself;  the  chains  of 
everlasting  darkness  encircled  him 
about,  and  he  could  not  rend  them 
assunder;  he  had  lost  all  power  and 
was  in  hopeless  despair.  But  sud- 
denly, a  voice  from  on  high  pene- 
trated the  depths  of  eternal  night 
with  which  he  was  surrounded ;  it 
was  not  the  harsh  voice  of  malicious 
fiends,  grinning  horribly  at  their 
■captive  victim;  but  it  was  the  voice 
of  mercy  which  broke  harmoniously 
wpon  the  ear;  it  was  the  voice  of 
compassion  which  gently  whispered, 
peace,  to  the  despairing  soul ;  it  was 
the  voice  of  hope — -the  voice  of  love — 
the  voice  of  one  bringing  glad  tidings 
of  great  joy — the  voice  of  a  com- 
passionate Father,  proclaiming  Re- 
demption through  His  Only  Begotten 
Son.  Despair  fled  away — Hope 
sprang  up  in  the  heart — Joy  lighted  up 
the  countenance — and  man  by  faith 
beheld  himself  redeemed  through  the 
death  and  sacrifice  of  the  First  Born  ; 
redeemed  from  that  endless  spiritual 


death  which  was  entailed  by  the  fall ; 
his  body  redeemed  from  an  endless 
sleep  in  the  grave  ;  his  spirit  re- 
deemed from  an  endless  subjection 
to  the  power  of  the  Devil.  He  be- 
held,  by  faith,  the  body  restored  from 
the  dust — the  spirit  restored  to  the 
body — mortality  restored  to  immor- 
tality— and  man  restored  to  the  pres- 
of  his  Father.  Thus  we  see,  that 
"in  Adam  all  die"  temporally, 
spiritually,  and  eternally  ;  and  that 
"  in  Christ  all  are  made  alive,"  tem- 
porally, spiritually,  and  eternally,  so 
far,  at  least,  as  the  original  sin  is 
concerned. 

78.  Christ  is  the  life  and  the  light 
of  the  world.  Without  His  atone- 
ment, no  life  nor  light  could  have  ap- 
proached  us  ;  naught  but  eternal  dark- 
ness, and  death,  and  misery  could 
have,  reigned.  As  all  this  misery 
came  by  the  unrighteous  acts  of  one 
man,  even  so,  all  the  redemption,  and 
light,  and  life,  restored  to  the  world, 
came  by  one  Being  who  was  as  "a 
Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of 
the  world."  As  the  children  of 
Adam  had  no  agency  in  committing 
the  original  sin,  even  so,  they  are 
redeemed  unconditionally,  and  uni- 
versally from  the  effects  of  that  sin, 
otherwise  those  effects  would  have 
never  had  an  end.  Redemption  from 
the  original  sin  was  through  Christ, 
that  is,  through  free  grace  alone 
without  werks ;  no  works  were  re- 
quired  of  j«an  in  order  that  free 
grace  might  become  effectual  in  his 
recovery  from  the  effects  of  the  sin 
of  his  first  parents.  None  of  the 
posterity  of  Adam,  as  a  condition  of 
redemption  from  that  sin,  are  required 
to  repent,  or  believe,  or  be  baptized, 
or  do  anything  else;  all  conditions 
on  the  part  of  man,  are  entirely  ex- 
cluded. The  atonement  alone,  with- 
out works,  has  made  all  mankind  in 
their  infant  state,  alive  in  Christ; 
hence  the  great  wickedness  of  bap- 
tizing little  children,  for  they  are  al- 
ready free  from  Adam's  sin  because 
of  Christ.  Baptism  was  instituted 
as  one  of  the  conditions  through 
which  remission  of  our  own  personal 
sins,  is  granted  because  of  the  atone- 


100 


THE   PRE-EXISTENCE   OF   MAK. 


merit ;  but  the  atonement  requires 
no  baptism  nor  any  other  condition 
in  order  to  remit  the  original  sin  or 
redeem  us  therefrom.  The  original 
sin  was  forgiven  nearly  six  thousand 
years  ago,  or  soon  after  it  was  com- 
mitted ;  Adam  was  the  one  who  com- 
mitted the  sin,  and  Adam  was  the 
one  who  obtained  forgiveness  of  the 
same  :  the  descendants  of  Adam  are 
affected  by  that  sin,  but  are  not 
guilty  of  committing  it ;  therefore 
they  need  no  forgiveness,  no  faith,  no 
repentance,  no  baptism  for  the  re- 
mission of  that  sin  :  hence  it  is  a 
solemn  mockery  before  God  to  bap- 
tize little  children  ;  and  God  will  not 
hold  parents  guiltless  who  suffer  this 
abominable  thing  to  be  practiced  in 
their  families,  and  the  Lord  God  will 
punish  those  men  who  practice  this 
great  wickedness  in  his  name  ;  for 
will  the  Lord  receive  at  our  hands 
that  which  he  has  not  commanded  ? 
And  will  he  suffer  us  to  go  unpunish- 
ed, if  we  use  his  name  in  vain,  and 
practice  abominations  in  his  name  ? 
Therefore,  we  say  unto  all  such,  let 
these  evil  practices  cease  from  be- 
fore the  Lord,  lest  he  smite  you  by 
the  rod  of  his  mouth,  and  by  his 
wrath,  and  you  perish  out  of  the 
earth,  and  also  from  his  presence. 

79.  Man,  having  learned  good  and 
evil  by  the  fall,  and  having  an  atone- 
ment provided  by  which  he  became 
in  his  infant  state  innocent  before 
God,  was  placed  in  a  condition  in 
which  he  could  act  for  himself,  either 
to  do  good  or  evil,  and  a  probation 
was  given  him.  Now,  the  Lord  did 
not  see  proper  to  redeem  man  from 
the  effects  of  the  fall  immediately ; 
therefore,  the  time  preceding  death, 
became  a  probationary  state,  or  a 
state  of  trial  :  laws  were  given  to 
govern  him,  adapted  to  the  nature  and 
degree  of  his  knowledge :  he  was 
commanded  to  do  good  and  not  evil ; 
penalties  were  affixed  to  the  laws 
given  him.  All  mankind,  as  they 
grow  up  from  infancy  to  years  of  ac- 
countability, transgress  these  laws 
and  subject  themselves  to  the  penalty 
thereof,  which  is  a  second  death. 
This  second  death  will  not  be  inflict- 


ed  until  all  mankind  are  redeemed 
from  the  first  death,  and  restored  in 
their  immortal  state  into  the  presence 
of  their  Judge,  to  be  judged  by  the  re- 
vealed law,  according  to  their  worksr 
whether  they  be  good  or  evil.  Were 
it  not  that  Christ  suffered  for  the  sins 
committed  by  the  posterity  of  Adam, 
as  well  as  for  the  original  sin,  no  flesh 
that  sins  could  be  saved  ;  for  sin  con. 
ceives  in  the  hearts  of  all  as  they  grow 
up  to  know  good  and  evil.  Therefore, 
if  the  atonement  reached  no  further 
than  the  original  sin,  every  soul  who 
sinned  against  the  second  law  would 
die  a  second  spiritual  death  :  he  would 
again  be  placed  in  a  condition  with- 
out hope ;  he  would  again  perish 
from  that  which  is  good  and  become 
miserable,  both  body  and  spirit,  for- 
ever:  it  is  true,  his  body  would  not 
return  the  second  time  to  dust,  but  he 
would  be  banished  the  second  time 
from  the  presence  of  his  Judge,  where 
both  body  and  spirit  would  be  mise- 
rable forever;  where  no  ray  of  hope 
could  ever  break  upon  his  mind. 
Such  must  have  been  the  conse- 
quences, if  the  original  sin  was  the 
only  sin  atoned  for  :  under  these  cir- 
cumstances, none  but  infants  and  those 
who  died  without  knowledge  enough 
to  sin,  could  be  saved.  All  the  rest 
would  be  irrecoverably  lost. 

80.  But  Christ  died,  not  only  to  re- 
deem mankind  from  the  original  sin, 
but  to  redeem  them  from  the  penalty 
of  their  own  individual  sins,  not 
unconditionally,  but  conditionally. 
Though  Christ  has  suffered  both  body 
and  spirit,  the  pains  of  all  the  human 
family  to  atone  for  all  their  sins,  yet 
this  atonement  cannot  take  effect 
upon  them,  unless  they  believe  in 
Him,  repent  of  their  sins,  and  are 
immersed  in  water  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  for  the  remission  of 
sins,  and  are  confirmed  by  the  laying 
on  of  the  hands  for  the  reception  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  continue  in 
faithfulness  unto  the  end ;  on  such 
the  second  death  will  have  no  power. 
But  those  who  will  not  repent  and 
who  reject  the  plan  of  salvation,  must 
suffer  the  penalty  of  the  law  even  ac- 
cording  to   the   decree   which   God 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


101 


hath  made.  Such  will  be  punished 
with  everlasting  destruction  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  and  from  the 
glory  of  his  power.  But  as  God  will 
reward  and  punish  all  men  according 
to  their  works,  whether  good  or  evil, 
there  will  be  different  degrees  of 
happiness  and  glory  to  answer  the 
ends  of  the  atonement,  and  different 
degrees  of  punishment  and  misery  to 
answer  the  ends  of  justice.  And 
thus  the  love,  and  mercy,  and  justice 
of  God  will  be  magnified  before  all 
the  heavenly  host  and  before  all  men. 

81.  Redemption  from  the  original 
sin  is  universal  and  unconditional; 
redemption  from  our  personal  sins  is 
conditional.  The  first  is  brought  | 
about  by  free  grace  alone  without 
works.  The  second  is  brought  about 
by  free  grace  through  works.  The 
former  is  a  universal  salvation  ;  the 
latter  is  a  salvation  of  those  only  who 
receive  the  gospel.  Redemption 
from  Adam's  sin  restores  us  back 
into  the  presence  of  God  ;  redemp- 
tion from  our  own  sins  retains  us  in 
the  presence  of  God  in  a  state  of 
never  ending  happiness.  Those  who 
reject  a  redemption  from  the  second 
death,  will  be  compelled  to  receive  a 
redemption  from  the  first  death.  As 
Christ  was  lifted  up  by  wicked  men 
upon  the  cross,  so  shall  wicked  men 
be  lifted  up  from  the  grave  to  stand 
before  Him  to  be  judged  for  all  their 
wicked  deeds.  As  Christ  was  judged 
and  rejected  by  sinners,  so  shall  sin- 
ners be  judged  and  rejected  by  Him. 
Thus  all  things  are  planned  in  wis- 
dom,  in  righteousness,  and  in  holi- 
ness, for  the  redemption  and  happi- 
ness of  man,  and  also  for  his  damna- 
tion and  misery;  that  mercy  and 
justice  may  each  have  their  claims, 
and  God  be  perfect  in  all  his  attri- 
butes. 

Hew  great  and  wonderful  are  the 
works  of  the  Almighty,  as  displayed 
in  the  creation  and  government  of 
man!  What  infinite  wisdom  is 
manifested  in  his  redemption  !  How  j 
great  the  inducements  held  out  to' 
fallen  man  to  reclaim  and  restore  him 
to  happiness !  How  merciful,  and 
yet  how  just  is  the  great  Judge  o(  all 


the  earth,  in  meting  out  rewards  and 
punishments,  according  to  the  works 
of  men ! 

82.  Having  shown  that  man  had 
a  pre-existence  in  the  heavens  before 
the  foundation  of  this  world,  that  he 
was  an  intelligent  moral  agent,  gov- 
erned by  laws,  that  he  kept  his  first 
estate,  that  this  earth  was  organized 
for  his  residence,  wherein  he  had  the 
privilege  of  being  associated  with  a 
tabernacle  or  body,  that  this  is  the 
second  estate,  in  which  he  encoun- 
ters new  trials  under  new  conditions, 
which,  if  he  overcomes,  and  keeps 
the  higher  laws,  adapted  to  this  state 
of  being,  will  prepare  him  for  a  fur- 
ther advancement  in  the  attributes 
and  perfections  of  his  Heavenly  Fa- 
ther  from  whom  he  originated  and 
by  whom  he  was  begotten,  long  an- 
terior to  his  present  existence  ;  hav- 
ing shown  that  the  fall  was  neces- 
sary that  he  might  become  like  the 
Gods,  knowing  good  and  evil,  and 
that  redemption  was  necessary  that 
he  might  know  how  to  appreciate 
happiness,  by  its  contrast  with  misery, 
we  will  next  inquire  into  the  nature, 
origen,  and  extent  of  his  capacities 
as  a  moral  and  intelligent  being. 

83.  First.  What  is  the  nature  of 
the  capacities  of  man?  Man  has  the 
capacities  of  self-motion,  of  thinking, 
feeling,  hating,  loving,  enjoying,  suf- 
fering, remembering,  reasoning,  and 
many  other  qualities,  too  numerous 
to  mention.  Of  all  the  qualities  pos- 
sessed by  man,  that  of  self-motion 
appears  to  us  the  most  marvelous. 
All  motions,  excepting  those  of  living 
beings,  are  said  to  be  of  a  mechani- 
cal nature — that  is,  produced  by 
matter's  acting  upon  matter  ;  all  me- 
chanical operations,  in  their  origin, 
are  the  results  of  a  living  self-moving 
force.  The  great  laws  of  nature, 
themselves,  are  the  results  of  this 
force.  There  is  no  other  force  in 
the  universe.  Those  qualities  which 
are  called  mechanical  forces,  gravi- 
tating  forces,  chemical  forces,  &c, 
are  not  forces,  but  only  effects.  The 
force  which  produces  these  effects  is 
hidden  from  the  view  of  mortals.  A 
living,  intelligent,  self-moving  force, 


102 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF   MAW. 


is  the  origen  of  all  the  motions  and 
laws  of  nature.  Man  has  this  capa- 
city of  self-motion,  and  exercises  it  to 
a  small  extent,  in  the  moving  of  his 
limbs  and  body.  But  to  enter  into 
the  investigation,  in  this  treatise,  of 
the  nature  of  self  moving  forces  in 
general,  would  be  foreign  to  the  sub- 
ject under  consideration.  For  fur- 
ther information  upon  this  interesting 
though  recondite  principle,  our  read- 
ers are  referred  to  our  treatise,  en- 
titled Great  First.  Cause,  or  the  Self- 
Moving  Forces  of  tlie  Universe.  The 
nature  of  thinking,  remembering,  and 
all  the  other  capacities  of  man  which 
we  have  named,  are  already  familiar 
to  the  understanding  of  every  one. 
No  one  will  dispute,  but  what  man 
possesses  all  these  qualities. 

84.  Secondly.  Whence  originated 
these  capacities?  When  we  speak 
of  capacities  we  mean  the  original 
elementary  capacities  of  the  mind. 
We  are  well  aware  that  metaphysi- 
cians consider  many  of  the  qualities 
named  to  be  of  a  secondary  or  com- 
pound nature,  growing  out  of  the 
combinations  of  qualities  still  more 
original.  All  this  we  are  willing  to 
admit  ;  but  these  secondary  qualities, 
if  analyzed,  will  be  found  in  all  in- 
stances to  be  the  result  of  the  combi- 
nation of  simple,  elementary,  original 
capacities.  The  question  is,  whence 
originated  these  elementary  qualities 
of  the  mind?  We  answer,  they  are 
eternal.  The  capacities  of  all  spirit 
ual  substance  are  eternal  as  the  sub- 
stance to  which  they  belong.  There 
is  no  substance  in  the  universe  which 
feels  and  thinks  now,  but  what  has 
eternally  possessed  that  capacity. 
These  capacities  may  be  suspended 
for  a  season,  but  never  can  be  anni- 
hilated. A  substance  which  has  not 
these  capacities  now,  must  eternally 
remain  without  them.  The  amount 
of  matter  in  space  can  never  be  in- 
creased nor  diminished,  neither  can 
there  be  a  new  elementary  capacity 
added  to  this  matter.  For  the  argu- 
ments sustaining  the  eternity  of  mat- 
ter and  its  capacities,  see  our  treatise, 
referred  to  in  the  preceding  para- 
graph.    Admitting  the  eternity  of  the 


capacities,  then  the  materials  of 
which  our  spirits  are  composed,  must 
have  been  capable  of  thinking,  mov- 
ing, willing,  &c,  before  they  were 
organized  in  the  womb  of  the  celes- 
tial female.  Preceding  that  period 
there  was  an  endless  duration,  and 
each  particle  of  our  spirits  had  an 
eternal  existence,  and  was  in  posses- 
sion of  eternal  capacities.  Now  can 
it  be  supposed,  for  one  moment,  that 
these  particles  were  inactive  and 
dormant  from  all  eternity  until  they 
received  their  organization  in  the 
form  of  the  infant  spirit?  Can  we 
suppose  that  particles,  possessed  of 
the  power  to  move  themselves,  would 
not  have  exerted  that  power,  during 
the  endless  duration  preceding  their 
organization?  If  they  were  once  or- 
ganized in  the  vegetable  kingdom, 
and  then  disorganized  by  becoming 
the  food  of  celestial  animals,  and  then 
again  re-organized  in  the  form  of  the 
spirits  of  animals  which  is  a  higher 
sphere  of  being,  then,  is  it  unreason- 
able to  suppose  that  the  same  parti- 
cles have,  from  all  eternity,  been 
passing  through  an  endless  chain  of 
unions  and  disunions,  organizations 
and  disorganizations,  until  at  length 
they  are  permitted  to  enter  into 
the  highest  and  most  exalted  sphere 
of  organization  in  the  image  and 
likeness  of  God  ?  A  transmigra- 
tion of  the  same  particles  of  spirits 
from  a  lower  to  a  higher  organi- 
zation, is  demonstrated  from  the  fact 
that  the  same  particles  exist  in  a 
diffused  scattered  state,  mingled  with 
other  matter;  next,  they  exist  in  a 
united  form,  growing  out  of  the  earth 
in  the  shape  of  grass,  herbs,  and 
trees;  and  after  this,  these  vegetab'es 
become  food  for  celestial  animals,  and 
these  same  particles  are  organized 
into  their  offspring,  and  thus  form  the 
spirits  of  animals.  Here,  then,  is 
apparently  a  transmigration  of  the 
same  particles  of  spirit  from  an  in- 
ferior to  a  superior  organization, 
wherein  their  condition  is  improved, 
and  their  sphere  of  action  enlarged. 
Who  shall  set  any  bounds  to  this  up- 
ward tendency  of  spirit  ?  Who  shall 
prescribe  limits   to  its   progression? 


THE   PRE-EXISTEVCE   OP    MAN. 


103 


ff  it  abide  the  laws  and  conditions  of 
its  several  states  of  existence,  who 
shall  say  that  it  will  not  progress  un- 
til it  shall  gain  the  very  summit  of 
perfection,  and  exist  in  all  the  glorious 
beauly  of  the  image  of  God  ? 

85.  When,  therefore,  the  infant 
spirit  is  first  born  in  the  heavenly 
world,  that  is  not  a  commencement  of 
its  capacities.  Each  particle  eter. 
nally  existed  prior  to  this  organiza- 
tion :  each  was  enabled  to  perceive  its 
own  existence  ;  each  had  the  power 
of  self-motion  ;  each  would  be  an  in- 
telligent living  being  of  itself  having 
no  knowledge  of  the  particular 
thoughts,  feelings,  and  emotions  of 
other  particles  with  which  it  never  had 
been  in  union.  Each  particle  would 
be  as  independent  of  every  other 
particle  as  one  individual  person  is  of 
another.  In  this  independent  sepa- 
rate condition,  it  would  be  capable  of 
being  governed  by  laws,  adapted  to 
the  amount  of  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience it  had  gained  during  its  past 
eternal  existence.  Each  particle  that 
complies  with  the  laws  prescribed  for 
its  rule  of  action,  is  permitted  to  rise 
in  the  scale  of  existence ;  for,  by 
obeying  the  law,  it  gains  more  knowl- 
edge, and  is  thus  prepared  to  act  in  a 
higher  sphere,  and  under  a  superior 
law.  How  many  different  laws  these 
particles  have  acted  under  during  the 
endless  school  of  experience  through 
which  they  have  passed  is  not  known 
to  us.  What  degree  of  knowledge 
they  have  obtained  by  experience, 
previous  to  their  organization  in  the 
womb  of  the  celestial  female,  is  not 
revealed.  One  thing  is  ceitain,  the 
particles  that  enter  into  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  infant  spirit,  are  placed  in 
a  new  sphere  of  action  :  the  laws  to 
govern  them  in  this  new  and  superior 
condition  must  be  different  from  any 
laws  under  which  they  had  pre- 
viously acted. 

86.  The  particles  organized  in  an 
infant  spirit,  can  no  longer  act,  or 
feel,  or  think  as  independent  individ- 
uals, but  the  law  to  control  them  in 
their  new  sphere,  requires  them  to 
act,  and  feel,  and  think  in  union,  and 
to  be   agreed   in   all  things.     When 


the  same  feelings,  the  same  thoughts, 
the  same  emotions,  and  the  same 
affections,  prevade  every  particle,  ex- 
isting in  the  union,  the  united  indi- 
viduals will  consider  themselves  as 
one  individual ;  the  interest  and  wel- 
fare of  each  will  be  the  inteiest  and 
welfare  of  the  whole  :  if  one  suffers, 
they  all  suffer:  if  one  rejoices,  they 
all  rejoice:  if  one  gains  any  informa- 
tion,  it  is  communicated  to  all  the 
rest:  if  one  thinks,  all  the  rest  think 
in  the  same  manner:  if  one  feels, 
they  all  feel:  in  fine,  the  union  of 
these  particles  is  so  perfect,  that  there 
can  be  no  state  or  affection  of  one, 
but  all  the  rest  are  immediately  noti- 
fied of  it,  and  are  thus  by  sympathy 
in  the  same  state  or  affection.  And, 
therefore,  they  live,  and  move,  and 
think,  and  act  as  one  being,  though 
in  reality,  it  is  a  being  of  beings.  iSo 
far  as  the  substance  is  concerned 
the  spiritual  body  is  a  plurality  of  be- 
ings; so  far  as  the  attributes  or  qual- 
ities are  considered,  it  is  but  one  be- 
ing. We  should  naturally  suppose, 
that  individual  particles  which  have 
been  accustomed  to  act  in  an  indi- 
vidual capacity,  would,  at  first,  find  it 
very  difficult  to  act  in  perfect  concord 
and  agreement.  Each  individual 
particle  must  consent,  in  the  first 
place,  to  be  organized  with  other 
similar  particles,  and  after  the  union 
has  taken  place,  they  must  learn,  by 
experience,  the  necessity  of  being 
agreed  in  all  their  thoughts,  affections, 
desires,  feelings,  and  acts,  that  the 
union  may  be  preserved  from  all  con- 
trary or  contending  forces,  and  that 
harmony  may  pervade  every  depart- 
ment of  the  organized  system.  Now, 
to  learn  all  this,  there  must  be  a  law 
given  of  a  superior  nature  to  those  by 
which  they  were  formerly  governed 
in  their  individual  capacities  as  sepa- 
rate particles.  A.  law  regulating 
them  when  existing  out  of  the  organi- 
zation, would  be  entirely  unsuitable  to 
their  new  sphere  of  existence.  New 
laws  are  wanted,  requiring  each  parti- 
cle no  longer  to  act  in  relation  to  its 
own  individual  self,  but  to  act  in  relation 
to  the  welfare  and  happiness  of  every 
other  particle  in  the  grand  union.    All 


104 


THE   PRE-F.XISTENCE    OF   MAN. 


disobedience  to  this  law  by  any  parti, 
cle  or  particles  in  the  organization, 
would  necessarily  bring  its  appropri- 
ate  punishment:  and  thus  by  suffering 
the  penalties  of  the  law  they  would  in 
process  of  time  become  martialed  and 
disciplined  to  perform  their  appro- 
priate functions  in  the  spiritual  sys- 
tem. The  appropriate  place  for  this 
grand  school  of  experience,  is  in  ihe 
Heavenly  world,  where,  from  the 
time  of  their  birth  as  infant  spirits, 
until  the  time  that  they  are  sent  into 
this  world  to  take  fleshly  tabernacles, 
the  organized  particles  are  instructed 
and  educated  in  all  the  laws  pertain- 
ing to  theirunion,  until  they  are  made 
perfectly  ONE  in  all  their  attributes 
and  qualities;  but  not  one  in  sub- 
stance, for  this  would  be  impossible; 
each  particle,  though  organized,  main- 
tains its  own  identity  in  the  system. 
The  oneness,  therefore,  can  only  con- 
sist in  the  sameness  of  the  qualities 
which  are  attained  by  ages  of  experi- 
ence through  strict  adherence  to  the 
wise  and  judicious  laws,  given  to 
govern  them  in  their  united  capacity. 
87.  The  particles  organized  in  an 
infant  spirit,  before  they  had  learned 
the  necessity  of  being  perfectly 
agreed  might  bring  themselves  into 
many  disagreeable  circumstances 
which,  by  a  perfect  agreement,  might 
have  been  avoided.  For  instance, 
one  law  of  the  union  is,  that  when 
any  part  of  the  system  has  ignorantly, 
or  in  any  other  way  placed  itself  in 
disagreeable  circumstances,  the  other 
part  shall  take  warning  and  endeavor 
to  avoid  those  circumstances.  To 
illustrate  this  law,  suppose  the  par- 
ticles, composing  the  right  hand  of  a 
spirit,  were  placed  in  contact  with 
certain  substances  which  produced 
great  pain,  the  perception  of  this  pain 
is  immediately  communicated  to  the 
particles,  composing  the  left  hand, 
they,  being  inexperienced,  give  no 
heed  to  the  friendly  warning,  and 
venture  into  the  same  difficulty  as 
those   in  the   right  hand;  they  now 

{To  be  continued.) 


feel    pained,   and    learn   by   experi- 
ence,  or  by  the   things   which  they 
suffer,  that  they  have  violated  one  of 
the  laws  of  their  union.     This  places 
the  particles  on  their  guard,  and  they 
learn  to  respect  the  communications 
which  any  portion  of  the  system  con- 
veys to  the  other  ;  they  learn  that  the 
same  thing  which  will  inflict  pain  on 
one  part  of  the  system,  will   also  in- 
flict  pain  upon   the   particles   in   any 
other  part ;  and  thus  when  the  com- 
munication is  made  from  one   part  of 
the  system  to  the  other,  the  particles 
have   confidence   in  the    intelligence 
conveyed,  and  act  accordingly.     This 
confidence  is  gained  by  experience. 
The    particles    learn    by   experience 
that  to  violate  any  law  given  to  gov- 
ern  them   in   their    united    capacity 
brings   punishment   and    misery.     It 
is   by  experience   that  they  learn  to 
act,  and   feel,  and   think,  alike  ;   it  is 
by  experience  that  they  learn  to  love 
and    hate     alike.     However    unlike 
they  may  be  in  the  degrees  of  knowl- 
edge and  experience  which  they  had 
accumulated  previous  to  their  union, 
they,   by  being   placed   in   the  same 
organization,  are  schooled  alike,  and 
trained,     disciplined,     and     educated 
alike,    till    every    particle     has    the 
knowledge  and  experience   of  every 
other  particle,  and  thus  by  experience 
they  learn  to  be  united  in   all  things, 
and  to   act  with  one  will  in  all  their 
operations.     To  see  the  perfect  union 
which  nowexists  among  the  particles, 
composing  our  spirits,  as  manifested 
in    thoughts,    feelings,   desires,    and 
operations,   one   would  almost   think 
that  these  were  the  manifestations  of 
one  single  being  or  particle,  instead 
of  a  plurality  of  beings  or  particles. 
But   a  little    reflection,    will   correct 
this   false   impression,  and   show   us 
that  these  are  the  manifestations   of 
the     same     attributes    or    qualities, 
dwelling  in   millions  of  particles    but 
yielding  obedience  to  the  same  great 
laws,  ordained  for  the  government  of 
the  organized  union. 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


105 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 

(Continued.) 


The  multiplication  of  human  be- 
ings is  not  the  only  object  of  mar- 
riage, but  connected  with  this  is  the 
righteous  government  of  those  beings. 
If  increase  alone  vveie  the  design, 
then  it  could  be  accomplished  through 
the  wicked  as  well  as  the  righteous  ; 
but  we  have  already  proved  that  God 
is  not  pleased  with  the  increase  of  the 
wicked  :  the  cause  of  this  displeasure 
arises  from  the  unrighteous  govern- 
ment exercised  in  their  families.  A 
wicked  man  is  totally  unqualified  to 
govern  a  family  according  to  the  law 
of  righteousness  ;  for  though  he  de- 
liver  righteous  precepts,  his  wicked 
examples  preach  louder  in  the  ears  of 
his  family  than  his  precepts.  If  pre- 
cepts have  no  influence  in  regulating 
the  conduct  of  the  parents,  how  can 
it  be  expected  that  they  shall  regulate 
the  acts  ol  the  children?  If  parents 
will  not  repent  of  their  sins,  and  call 
upon  the  Lord,  and  be  baptized  into 
the  Church  of  Christ,  and  receive  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  be  diligent  in  obey- 
ing every  requirement  of  Heaven,  the 
children  will  be  very  likely  to  harden 
their  hearts  also.  Children  are  suc- 
ceptible  of  influences  ;  those  whom 
they  esteem  most  they  will  be  the 
most  likely  to  imitate.  And  as  child- 
ren generally  suppose  their  parents 
to  be  superior  to  all  others,  they  are 
very  apt  to  be  controlled  by  their  in- 
fluence, either  for  good  or  for  bad. 
Hence,  the  wise  man  says,  "Train 
up  a  child  in  the  way  that  he  should 
go,  and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not 
depart  from  it."  Parents  cannot  train 
children  in  the  proper  path,  unless 
they  walk  therein  themselves.  There- 
fore no  individuals  or  nations  are  di- 
vinely authorized  to  marry  and  mul- 
tiply their  species,  unless  they  are 
qualified  to  govern  them  according  to 
the  law  of  God,  and  to  teach  them 
both  by  example  and  precept  the  way 
that  leads  to  eternal  life  and  happiness. 

The  salvation  or  damnation  of  a 
family  depends,  in  a  very  great  de- 
gree, upon  the  nature  of  the  govern- 


ment  exercised  in  that  family.  If  the 
head  of  a  family  be  a  righteous  man, 
his  influence  is  continually  exercised 
in  every  department  of  his  house  ; 
his  wife  or  wives  are  continually  in- 
structed in  every  good,  and  useful, 
and  upright  principle ;  his  children 
are  taught  in  the  law  of  God  accord- 
ing  to  their  age,  experience,  and  ca- 
pacities ;  his  examples  are  imitated  ; 
his  whole  household  love,  revere,  and 
obey  him  :  he  leads  them  unto  God 
and  teaches  them  how  to  be  happy 
here  and  hereafter;  he  obtains  pro- 
mises from  the  Almighty  for  them  and 
their  generations,  after  them ;  he 
blesses  them  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy 
according  to  the  power  and  inspira- 
tion of  the  Holy  Ghost  that  is  in  him  ; 
and  in  fine,  he  is  a  prophet,  patriarch, 
prince,  and  saviour  to  all  that  God 
has  given  him.  Such  a  man  is  worthy 
of  a  family  ;  he  has  a  divine  right  to 
marry,  and  multiply  his  offspring  ;  for 
he  thus,  in  training  up  a  family,  glori- 
fies God  ;  he  prepares  them  to  asso- 
ciate with  a  higher  order  of  beings 
in  the  Heavens;  through  his  instru- 
mentality they  are  made  partakers  of 
eternal  life.  Contrast  such  an  order 
of  family  government  with  the  un- 
righteousness and  disorder  in  the 
families  of  the  wicked  ;  and,  then, 
tell  me,  if  such  a  man  is  not  more 
worthy  of  a  hundred  wives  and  a 
thousand  children,  than  the  wicked 
are  to  be  entrusted  with  one  ?  Tell 
me  if  such  a  man  would  not  glorify 
God  more,  in  the  salvation  of  a  large 
and  numerous  family  than  the  wicked 
man  who  is  the  instrument  of  bring- 
ing damnation  upon  his  family  ?  Hear 
what  is  said  concerning  Abraham. 
"  And  the  Lord  said,  Shall  I  hide  from 
Abraham  that  thing  which  I  do  ;  see- 
ing that  Abraham  shall  surely  be- 
come a  great  and  mighty  nation,  and 
all  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  be 
blessed  in  him  ?  For  I  know  him 
that  he  will  command  his  children 
and  his  household  after  him,  and  they 
shall  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord,  to  do 


106 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


justice  and  judgment ;  that  the  Lord 
may  I, ring  upon  Abraham  that  which 
He  hath  spoken  of  him.  (Gen.  IS  : 
17-19.)  The  Lord  and  two  angels 
had  just  taken  dinner  with  Abraham, 
and  as  they  started  on  their  journey 
towards  Sodom  "  Abraham  went  with 
them  to  bring  them  on  the  way." 
The  Lord  concluded  to  reveal  to  Abra- 
ham a  secret  concerning  the  destruc- 
tion of  Sodom.  The  reason  assign- 
ed for  revealing  this  secret  to  him, 
was  because  he  would  "command 
his  children  and  his  household;" 
and  because  of  this  He  would  bring 
upon  him  all  that  he  had  promised. 
Thus  we  see  that  in  consequence  of 
the  good  order  and  righteous  govern- 
ment which  this  Polygamist  exercised 
in  his  family,  he  was  counted  worthy 
to  have  the  Lord  and  his  angels  to 
dine  with  him  ;  to  receive  a  revela- 
tion  concerning  the  fate  of  the  neigh- 
boring cities  ;  and  to  learn  that  the 
Lord  would  actually  make  him  a  great 
nation,  and  that  all  nations  should  be 
blessed  in  him.  All  these  great  bles- 
sings  were  bestowed  as  a  reward  for 
commanding  his  children  and  house- 
hold accoiding  to  the  law  of  God. 
On  the  other  hand,  great  and  terrible 
were  the  judgments  which  came  upon 
Sodom  and  the  surrounding  cities, 
because  they  would  not  command  their 
children  in  righteousness,  nor  give 
heed  themselves  to  the  law  of  God. 

And  even  among  the  people  of 
God  there  is  a  distinction,  arising 
from  the  faithfulness  of  some  and  the 
unfaithfulness  of  others.  Those  who 
are  the  most  upright  are  better  quali- 
fied to  govern  families  than  those  who 
are  unfaithful.  Though  the  Lord  had 
made  promises  to  Jacob  concerning 
the  posterity  of  his  twelve  sons,  yet 
because  cf  their  wickedness  while  in 
the  wilderness  He  came  very  near 
destroying  them.  The  Lord  said  to 
Moses,  "  I  have  seen  this  people,  and, 
behold,  it  is  a  stiffnecked  people : 
Let  me  alone,  that  I  may  destroy 
them,  and  blot  out  their  name  from 
under  Heaven  :  and  I  will  make  of 
thee  a  nation  mightier  and  greatier 
than  they.."  (Ueut.  9:  13,  14.) 
Why  did  the   Lord  wish   to  destroy 


them  and  make  the  posterity  of  Moses 
into  a  nation  greater  than  they  ? 
Because  Moses  was  more  righteous 
than  they,  and  consequently  was 
much  better  qualified  to  instruct  and 
teach  his  children  than  all  Israel; 
and  the  Lord  had  a  great  desire  to 
bless  those  who  were  the  most  faith- 
ful with  a  numerous  posterity  ;  while 
those  among  his  people  who  trans- 
gressed were  considered  unworthy 
of  standing  at  the  head  of  a  numer- 
ous offspring.  Had  not  Moses  plead 
before  the  Lord  in  behalf  of  Israel, 
and  referred  to  the  promises  made  to 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Israel,  the  Lord 
might  have  destroyed  them,  and 
raised  up  a  mighty  nation  by  Moses 
in  their  stead.  But  the  Lord  heark- 
ened unto  Moses  and  "  repented  of 
the  evil  which  He  thought  to  do  unto 
his  people."  (Ex.  33.) 

Abram  had  a  numerous  household, 
before  Sarah  gave  Hagar  to  him  for 
a  wife.  We  read  of  three  hundred 
and  eighteen  trained  servants  4i  born 
in  his  own  house."  (Gen,  14  :  14.) 
Now  it  is  altogether  likely  that 
Abram  was  more  righteous  and  faith- 
ful than  all  the  church  in  his  house  ; 
hence,  he  was  the  only  one  among 
them  that  we  have  any  account  of 
having  more  than  one  wife.  His 
faithfulness  and  his  qualifications  to 
instruct  and  govern  in  righteousness, 
entitled  him  to  greater  privileges. 

The  Lord  blessed  Gideon  because 
he  was  a  mighty  man  of  God  with 
upwards  of  seventy  sons,  and  chose 
him  to  deliver  Israel. 

David,  being  a  man  after  God's 
own  heart,  took  seven  wives  before 
he  ascended  the  throne  to  reign  over 
all  Israel.  He  being  a  prophet  was 
well  qualified  to  govern  and  instruct 
a  family  in  righteousness.  He  had 
more  wives  and  children  committed 
to  him  than  many  of  his  brethren 
because  he  was  better  qualified  to 
lead  them  to  salvation.  After  David 
had  taken  seven  wives,  the  Lord 
thinking  that  he  had  not  yet  a  suffi- 
cient number,  gave  into  his  bosom 
all  of  Saul's  wives.  (2  Sam.  12  :  8.) 
What  is  the  secret  of  the  Lord's 
being  so  anxious   for  David  to  have 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


107 


so  many  wives?  Because,  he,  being 
a  man  after  God's  own  heart,  would 
he  more  likely  to  save  his  wives  and 
children,  than  many  others  of  Israel 
who  were  less  faithful. 

But  when  David  turned  from  his 
righteousness  and  took  Uriah's  wife, 
the  Lord  now  considered  him  no 
longer  worthy  of  his  wives  and  He 
gave  them  to  his  neighbor.  He  was 
informed  by  the  Lord  through  Nathan, 
the  Prophet,  that  if  Saul's  wives  and 
that  which  He  had  already  given  to 
him  "had  been  too  litlle,"  "  I  would 
moreover"  he  says,  "have  given 
unto  thee  such  and  such  things;" 
(2  Sam.  12:  8.)  clearly  intimating 
that,  He,  the  Lord,  would  have  given 
him  more,  lawfully,  if  he  had  been 
faithful.  But  now  he  had  forfeited 
all  that  he  had  got.  Saul,  though  he 
had  been  a  prophet,  afterwards  trans- 
gressed and  rendered  himself  un- 
woithy  of  his  kingdom — unworthy  of 
his  wives — and  unworthy  of  even 
life  itself.  Wives  and  children  are 
among  the  greatest  blessings  be- 
stowed upon  the  righteous.  He, 
therefore,  that  receives  *hese  bless- 
ings and  continues  faithful,  will  be 
counted  worthy  to  receive  more  ;  but 
he  that  is  unfaithful  will  have  taken 
from  him  even  that  which  he  has. 
This  was  the  case  with  Saul  and 
David  ;  their  wives  were  taken  from 
them.  David  by  taking  that  which 
did  not  belong  to  him,  lost  all  his 
own. 

God  raised  up  Solomon  to  sit  upon 
the  throne  of  Israel  ;  and  He  ap- 
peared unto  him  twice  and  gave  him 
great  wisdom  above  all  others  and 
the  Lord  was  with  him,  and  magni- 
fied him  exceedingly  before  all  Israel, 
and  hearkened  unto  his  prayer  and 
filled  the  temple  which  he  built  with 
a  cloud  of  glory,  and  caused  fire  to 
descend  from  Heaven  to  consume  the 
sacrifice.  This  great  man  was  much 
better  calculated  to  train  up  children 
in  the  way  that  they  should  go  than  any 
other  man  living,  for  God  had  given 
him  greater  wisdom  ;  hence  he  had 
seven  hundred  wives  and  three  hun- 
dred concubines.  (1  Kings,  11.)  But 
even   this  wise    man,   turned   away 


from  the  Lord,  by  taking  wives  from 
among  surrounding  nations  who  were 
idolaters  which  thing  the  Lord  had 
expressly  forbidden.  (See  verses  1, 
2.)  Solomon  was  not  condemned 
for  marrying  many  wives  of  his  own 
nation;  but  having  transgiessed  the 
strict  commandment  of  God  in  marry, 
ing  out  of  his  nation,  he  was  left 
unto  himself  and  turned  away  after 
the  idolatrous  <jods  of  his  wives  ;  and 
God  rent  the  kingdom  in  twain  in  the 
days  of  his  son,  and  gave  ten  tribes 
to  another  not  of  his  seed. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  even 
among  the  people  of  God  there  are 
some  who  are  more  worthy  than 
others,  consequently  God  gave  such 
more  wives  and  children  than  He 
did  to  others.  These  blessings  were 
dispensed,  like  all  other  blessings, 
according  to  the  righteousness,  wis- 
dom,  faith,  holiness  and  qualifications 
of  those  who  professed  to  be  the 
people  of  God.  Some  receiving 
more  ;  some  less  ;  some  none  at  all ; 
and  some  having  taken  from  them 
even  those  they  had  received. 

Therefore  though  the  males  and 
females  had  been  of  equal  number  in 
Israel,  yet  God  would  confer  upon 
some  more  than  upon  others,  accord- 
ing to  their  worthiness.  As  it  was 
among  Israel,  so  it  is  among  the  peo- 
ple of  Utah.  Some  are  entitled  to  a 
greater  number  of  wives  than  others, 
because  of  their  righteousness. 
Though  the  census  should  show  an 
equal  number  of  the  sexes  in  that 
Territory,  that  does  not  prove  that  all 
the  men  are  equally  qualified  to  in- 
struct, counsel,  govern,  and  lead  wives 
and  children  in  the  paths  of  righteous- 
ness. A  father  would  not  confer  upon 
his  children  equal  blessings,  authori- 
ty, and  power,  unless  they  were 
equally  faithful.  A  wise  king  having 
many  sons  would  confer  authority  and 
power  upon  such  only  as  would  use 
the  same  for  the  benefit  of  the  peo- 
pie.  Those  who  would  not  be  sub- 
ject to  good  laws  themselves,  he 
would  not  entrust  to  govern  others. 
Our  Heavenly  Father  acts  upon  the 
same  principle.  He  is  willing  that 
all   should    enjoy   equal   rights    and 


108 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


privileges,  upon  the  ground  of  equal 
obedience.  We  have  this  illustrated 
in  the  parable  of  the  talents  :  one 
having  one  ;  another  two,  and  another 
five.  Those  who  made  a  proper  use 
of  what  was  entrusted  to  them,  gained 
more  :  those  who  made  an  improper 
use  of  their  blessings,  lost  all  they 
had :  their  blessings  were  taken 
from  them  and  given  to  others,  who 
had  more  abundantly.  This  explains 
the  mystery  why  the  Lord  in  ancient 
times  gave  more  wives  to  one  than 
what  he  did  to  another,  when  to  all 
appearance  the  number  of  males  and 
females  were  about  equal. 

And  when  the  most  of  His  people 
were  righteous  and  worthy  to  be  en- 
trusted with  numerous  families,  and 
there  were  not  a  sufficient  number 
of  females  to  supply  them  with  a 
plurality  of  wives,  the  Lord  provided 
for  them,  by  commanding  them  to 
spare  the  female  captives  of  certain 
nations  taken  in  war.  Hence  when 
the  Israelites  made  war  against  Mi- 
dian  they  slew  all  the  men,  and  took 
the  women  and  children  captives. 
Moses  afterwards  commanded  them 
as  follows  :  "Kill  every  male  among 
the  little  ones,  and  kill  every  woman 
that  hath  known  man  by  lying  with 
him.  But  all  the  women  children 
that  have  not  known  a  man  by  lying: 
with  him,  keep  alive  for  yourselves." 
(Numbers,  31:  17,  18.) 

This  was  made  a  law  among  Israel 
in  all  their  wars  against  foreign 
cities  and  nations.  Moses  said  con- 
cerning the  city  that  would  not  make 
peace  with  Israel,  "Thou  shall  be 
siege  it :  and  when  the  Lord  thy 
God  hath  delivered  it  into  thine 
hands,  thou  shall  smite  every  male 
thereof  with  the  edge  of  the  sword  ; 
but  the  women,  and  the  little  ones, 
and  the  cattle,  and  all  that  is  in  the 
city,  even  all  the  spoil  thereof,  shalt 
thou  take  unto  thyself;  and  thou  shalt 
eat  the  spoil  of  thine  enemies,  which 
the  Lord  thy  God  hath  given  thee. 
Thus  shalt  thou  do  unto  ail  the  cities 
which  are  very  far  off  from  thee, 
which  are  not  of  the  cities  of  these 
nations."  (Deut.  20:  12,  15.)  If 
Israel  kept  the  law  which  was  given 


them,  they  must  have  accumulated 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  female  cap- 
tives  for  themselves.  But  why  were 
they  commanded  to  preserve  the  fe- 
males and  not  the  males?  Because 
the  Lord  was  very  anxious  that  His 
people  should  have  a  plurality  of 
wives,  for  they  were  the  only  people 
qualified  on  the  face  of  the  whole 
earth  to  raise  up  children  in  righteous- 
ness ;  therefore  the  Lord  took  partic- 
ular care  to  make  such  provisions  as 
would  constitute  Israel  a  nation  of 
polygamists. 

The  male  is  appointed  by  the  au. 
thority  of  God  to  be  at  the  head  of 
his  family — to  be  a  Patriarch  and 
Saviour  unto  them.  If  the  male  chil- 
dren of  these  nations  had  been  spared 
alive,  they  would  have  remembered 
their  fathers,  and  as  they  grew  up 
they  would  have  turned  away  to  the 
idolatry  and  abominations  of  their 
fathers ;  and  if  they  had  married 
wives  among  Israel,  they  would  have 
been  instruments  not  only  in  ruining 
themselves,  but  their  families  also. 
But  not  so  with  the  females  who 
were  spared  alive.  They  would  be 
connected  in  marriage  with  good 
men,  to  whom  they  would  be  subject, 
and  their  children  also  ;  and  the  man, 
being  at  the  head  of  the  family,  would, 
by  his  good  examples  and  precepts, 
save  all  his  wives  and  children. 
Hence  we  see  the  wisdom  of  God  in 
destroying  the  males  and  saving  the 
women  for  his  people  ;  that  they,  by 
having  a  great  number  of  wives, 
might  multiply  the  chosen  seed  as 
the  stars  of   Heaven. 

The  number  of  the  children  of  Is- 
rael compared  with  the  number  of 
families,  shows  that  polygamy  must 
have  been  practiced  to  a  very  great 
extent  while  they  were  in  the  wilder- 
ness. Moses  was  commanded  to  take 
the  number  of  all  the  males  from 
twenty  years  old  and  upwards  that 
were  able  to  go  forth  to  war.  (Num- 
bers, 1:  2,  3.)  The  number  was 
found  to  be  six  hundred  and  three 
thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty, 
(verse  46.)  It  is  very  likely  that  the 
number  of  males  under  twenty  years 
would,  when  added  to  the  others,  in- 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


109 


crease  the  same  to  about  one  million. 
The  number  of  females,  it  is  most 
likely,  was  far  greater,  as  the  Egyp- 
tians upwards  of  forty  years  betbre 
had  commenced  destroying  the  male 
children.  The  whole  nation  of  Is- 
rael,  therefore,  must  have  been  some- 
thing near  two  and  one-half  millions. 
Now,  how  many  first  born  males 
were  there  in  this  numerous  host  ? 
Answer :  only  twenty-two  thousand 
two  hundred  and  seventy-three.  (See 
Numbers,  3:  43.)  Hence  there  was 
among  the  whole  number  of  males 
only  an  average  of  one  out  of  thirty, 
nine  that  was  the  first  born.  How 
can  that  be  possible  1  It  could  not 
be  possible  only  upon  the  principle  of 
a  plurality  of  wives  existing  in  almost 
every  family;  for  each  women  could 
not  have  had  thirty. nine  sons  ;  and  it 
must  be  recollected  that  only  one  out 
of  this  number  could  be  the  first  born. 
Now,  a  man  that  had  four  wives 
might  possibly  have  thirty-nine  sons; 
in  this  case  there  would  be  only  one 
out  of  the  number  who  could  be  the 
first  born.  The  first  born  has  rela- 
tion  only  to  the  man  who  is  the  head 
of  the  family,  and  not  to  the  woman. 
Though  Jacob  had  four  wives  and 
twelve  sons,  yet  Reuben  only  was 
called  the  first  born.  It  may  be  said 
that  there  were  many  families  whose 
first  born  were  daughters  :  of  this 
there  is  no  doubt.  Admit  that  the 
two  classes  of  families  were  equal, 
still  there  would  be  only  forty-four 
thousand  five  hundred  and  forty-six 
families  having  children  in  all  Israel; 
taking  into  consideration  those  fami- 
lies that  had  no  children,  the  whole 
number  of  families  in  Israel  could  not 
have  exceeded  fitly  thousand.  Now, 
two  and  one-half  millions  of  people 
must  have  all  been  included  in  fifty 
thousand  families,  which  would  be  an 
average  of  just  fifty  to  a  family.  As 
one  wife  could  not  be  the  mother  of 
forty. eight  children,  it  shows  most 
conclusively  that  nearly  every  family 
in  Israel  must  have  practiced  polyga- 
my. As  each  man's  family  consisted, 
at  least,  of  fifty  persons,  and  if  five 
children  be  allowed  as  an  average  to 
each  wife,  then  each  man's  family 


must  have  consisted  of  about  eight 
wives  and  forty  childien.  There  is 
no  getting  away  from  these  scriptural 
pi  oofs  in  favor  of  polygamy.  No 
person  can  explain  upon  any  other 
principle,  how  there  could  be  only 
twenty-two  thousand  two  hundred  and 
seventy-three  first  born  males  in  a 
nation  whose  population,  at  a  very 
low  estimate,  must  have  numbered 
two  and  one-half  millions. 

At  the  highest  estimate,  there 
could  not  have  been  over  fifty  thou- 
sand married  men  in  Israel  at  that 
time,  and  yet  there  must  have  been 
something  like  three  or  four  hundred 
thousand  married  women.  The  num- 
ber of  married  men  is  approximately 
estimated  from  the  number  of  first 
born  males.  And  the  number  of  mar- 
ried women  is  approximately  estimat- 
ed from  the  whole  number  of  Israel. 

At  the  above  estimate  the  number 
of  males  remaining  unmarried  would 
amount  to  about  nine  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  ;  of  this  number  there 
would  be  upwards  of  five  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  over  twenty  years 
of  age,  not  married;  while  the  num- 
ber of  unmarried  females  would  be 
about  eleven  or  twelve  hundred  thou- 
sand. 

Of  those  males  who  were  old 
enough  to  marry,  as  an  average,  only 
one  out  of  twelve  had  a  family.  There 
must  be  some  cause  tor  this.  Can 
any  one  give  a  reasonable  cause  ? 
Can  any  one  tell  why  only  about 
one-twelfth  part  of  the  men  at  that 
time  had  families  ?  Have  we  not 
reason  to  believe  that  only  this  small 
proportion  of  the  men  were  worthy 
of  wives  or  children?  Why  were 
fifty  thousand  men  blessed  with  some 
three  or  lour  hundred  thousand  wives, 
while  upwards  of  five  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  had  none  at  all  ?  We 
cannot  answer  this  question,  only 
upon  the  principle  that  God  gives 
wives  and  children  in  great  abund- 
ance to  his  faithful  servants,  and 
withholds  them  from  the  unfaithful, 
for  fear  that  they  will  increase  an 
unrighteous  posterity  upon  the  earth. 
Should  God  deal  with  the  saints  in 
Utah  upon  the  same  principle  now, 


110 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


that  He  did  in  ancient  times,  it  would 
be  nothing  strange  if  He  should  give 
to  many  of  His  faithful  servants  a 
hundred  fold  of  wives  and  children  ; 
while  others,  less  faithful,  would  be 
limited  to  one,  and  others  still  have 
none  at  all,  like  the  great  majority  of 
Israel  in  the  wilderness. 

If  any  one  should  say  that  the 
manner  in  which  God  dispensed  His 
blessings  under  the  Mosaic  dispensa- 
tions, is  not  applicable  under  the  gos- 
pel. In  reply,  we  ask,  Is  it  any 
more  pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God  for 
a  wicked  man  to  bring  up  a  family 
in  wickedness  under  the  gospel  dis- 
pensation than  it  was  under  former 
dispensations  ?  Are  not  the  evil  con- 
sequences the  same  under  every  dis- 
pensation ?  Is  there  not  just  as  much 
danger  of  a  wicked  man's  bringing 
ruin  and  eternal  misery  upon  his 
family  under  the  gospel  as  well  as 
under  the  law?  If,  then,  God  is 
now,  just  as  much  displeased  with  a 
family  reared  in  wickedness  ;  and  if 
there  is  the  same  danger  of  destroy- 
ing the  immortal  souls  of  the  off- 
spring now,  as  under  the  Mosaic  dis- 
pensation, then  why  should  it  be 
thought  strange  that  God  should  use 
the  same  preventatives  now  that  He 
did  anciently,  to  check  the  increase 
of  the  wicked,  and  the  same  facilities 
to  greatly  increase  the  families  of  the 
righteous?  Why  should  it  be  con- 
sidered unreasonable  that  God  should 
give  many  wives  and  children  to 
those  who  would  in  righteousness 
command  their  households,  as  Abra- 
ham did,  and  withhold  these  bless- 
ings from  others  who  are  unworthy  ? 

These  testimonies  and  arguments 
effectually  demolish  the  great  objec- 
tion to  a  plurality  of  wives,  founded 
upon  the  equality  of  the  numbers  of 
males  and  females  in  Utah.  It  will 
be  seen,  that  if  the  males  in  that  ter- 
ritory were  five  times  more  numer- 
ous than  the  females,  still  the  forego- 
ing arguments  would  show  the  neces- 
sity of  a  plurality  of  wives;  unless  it 
can  be  proved  that  all  the  males  in 
that  territory  are  equally  faithful,  and 
consequently  equally  worthy  to  be 
entrusted  with  these  great  blessings. 


But  the  question  may  be  asked,  Who 
is  to  decide  upon  the  worthiness  or 
unworthiness  of  the  people?  We 
answer,  the  same  Being  who  always 
decided  all  matters  of  importance 
among  His  people.  But  is  there  not 
great  danger  of  being  deceived? 
Yes  ;  there  is  very  great  danger,  in- 
deed, of  being  deceived,  unless  you 
believe  in  a  God  who  gives  revela- 
tion now  as  He  did  in  ancient  times. 
All  the  nations,  of  the  earth  have  al- 
ways been  deceived  when  they  got 
so  far  from  God  that  He  would  not 
speak  to  them  ;  they  are  then  left  to 
follow  their  own  imaginations,  which 
are  sure  to  deceive  them.  But  when 
God  speaks  there  is  no  chance  of  de- 
ception. His  sheep  know  His  voice 
and  will  follow  Him  ;  hence  it  is  not 
possible  for  the  elect  to  be  deceived  ; 
because  they  converse  with  God,  and 
He  never  deceives  any  one.  If  the 
people  of  Utah  are  the  people  of  God, 
then  there  is  no  possible  chance  of 
their  being  deceived  upon  any  sub- 
ject of  as  great  importance  as  that  of 
the  plurality  of  wives;  for  no  man 
has  a  right  to  these  blessings  unless 
God  shall  give  them  to  him  through 
His  servant  the  prophet.  But,  on 
the  other  hand,  if  the  people  of  Utah 
have  no  prophet,  then  they  are  not 
the  people  of  God,  but  are  deceived 
like  all  the  rest  of  Christendom  who 
are  without  prophets.  In  the  latter 
case,  we  would  not  be  worthy  of 
even  one  wife,  much  less  a  plurality. 
A  people  that  have  no  prophets  or 
inspired  men  among  them,  never 
were  worthy  of  wives  or  children  in 
any  age  of  the  world.  Hence  if  the 
people  of  Utah  cannot  inquire  of  God 
and  receive  revelations  from  Him, 
they  are  no  more  entitled  to  wives 
and  children  than  Apostate  Christen- 
dom are.  The  righteousness  or  un- 
righteousness of  having  a  plurality  of 
wives,  or  even  one  wife,  all  hangs 
upon  the  simple  question,  Whether 
the  people  who  presume  to  marry, 
are,  or  are  not,  the  people  of  God  ? 
If  they  are  not,  they  have  no  divine 
right  to  even  one  wife  ;  if  they  are 
His  people  He  has  the  undoubted 
right  to  show,  through  His  prophet, 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


Ill 


how  many  wives,  if  any,  each  may 
have. 

But  would  it  be  right  for  the  Lat- 
ter-Day Saints  to  marry  a  plurality 
of  wives  in  any  of  the  States,  or  Ter- 
ritories, or  nations,  where  such  prac- 
tices are  prohibited  by  the  laws  of 
man?  We  answer  no:  it  would  not 
be  right ;  for  we  are  commanded  to 
be  subject  to  the  powers  that  be. 
So  long  as  we  live  under  their  juris- 
diction, we  are  commanded  to  keep 
their  laws,  unless  their  laws  are  un- 
righteous, like  those  given  by  Nebu- 
chadnezzer,  commanding  all  people 
to  fall  down  and  worship  a  golden 
image  which  he  had  caused  to  be  set 
up ;  we  then  should,  no  doubt,  rebel 
as  the  three  Hebrews  did.  But  all 
laws  which  we  could  keep  without 
violating  our  consciences,  it  is  our 
duty  to  obey  so  long  as  we  live  under 
them.  The  laws  enacted  by  the  dif- 
ferent States  and  Territories  against 
the  plurality  of  wives,  we  believe  to 
be  unconstitutional,  growing  out  of 
the  narrow-contracted  bigoted  cus- 
toms of  Apostate  Christianity,  never- 
theless it  is  the  duty  of  the  saints  so 
long  as  they  remain  under  such  il- 
liberal laws  to  strictly  comply  with 
them.  But  if  they  wish  to  enjoy  the 
privileges  granted  by  the  word  of 
God,  and  by  the  glorious  Constitution 
of  our  National  Republic,  let  them 
depart  from  under  the  jurisdiction  of 
these  illiberal  State  laws,  and  go  to 
Utah  where  religious  liberty  is  tole- 
rated, and  where  every  people  and 
sect  have  the  right  to  worship  as 
they  please,  and  marry  as  many 
wives  as  they  please,  and  be  ac- 
countable to  God  and  not  to  man. 

Laws  are  intended  to  prevent 
crime,  and  the  revealed  law  of  God. 
and  the  light  of  conscience  are  abun- 
dantly sufficient  to  determine  what  is 
crime.  A  well  instructed  conscience 
will  not  determine  any  thing  to  be 
crime  which  ;s  not  inconsistent  with 
the  revealed  law.  As  plurality  of 
wives  is  perfectly  consistent  with  the 
revealed  law,  it  is  not  a  crime  ;  and 
therefore  no  human  laws  should  de- 
nounce it  as  such  :  but  every  man 
should  be  left  perfectly  free  in  regard 


to  this  thing,  so  far  as  human  laws 
are  concerned. 

Every  enlightened  conscience,  as 
well  as  the  word  of  God,  will  tell  us 
that  lying,  stealing,  robbing,  false 
swearing,  committing  adultery,  tres- 
passing, murdering,  and  many  other 
similar  acts,  are  crimes  ;  and  there- 
fore the  legislative  departments  should 
enact  wise  and  judicious  laws  for  their 
punishment.  But  where  in  the  word 
of  God  is  the  plurality  of  wives  de- 
nounced as  a  crime  ?  Nowhere:  but 
on  the  contrary,  it  was  approbated  of 
God.  Shall  human  wisdom,  then, 
presume  to  enact  laws  against  that 
which  is  nowhere  in  the  divine  oracles 
condemned  as  a  crime  ?  Must  we, 
under  the  broad  folds  of  the  American 
Constitution,  be  compelled  to  bow 
down  to  the  narrow  contracted  no- 
tions of  Apostate  Christianity  !  Must 
we  shut  up  our  consciences  in  a  nut 
shell,  and  be  compelled  to  submit  to 
the  bigoted  notions,  and  whims,  and 
customs  of  the  dark  ages  of  pope/y, 
transferred  to  us  through  the  super- 
stitions of  our  fathers?  Must  we  be 
slaves  to  custom  and  render  homage 
to  the  soul-destroying,  sickening  in- 
fluences of  modern  Christianity? 
No :  American  freedom  was  never 
instituted  for  such  servile  purposes  ; 
the  Constitution  of  our  country  was 
never  framed  to  crush  the  conscience 
of  man,  and  put  upon  him  the  iron 
yoke  of  Romish  superstition ;  our 
illustrious  fathers  never  fought  and 
bled  to  bequeath  to  their  children  the 
heritage  of  freedom  mingled  with 
despotism  ;  the  proud  American  eagle 
was  never  made  to  stretch  forth  its 
wings  and  soar  aloft  to  mock  the  sons 
of  freedom's  soil.  Liberty — unbound- 
ed liberty  of  conscience  should  char- 
acterize the  laws  of  each  of  the 
States  of  this  great  and  extended 
Union.  Here  the  Hindoo  or  the 
1  Chinese  should  be  permitted  to  bow 
|  down  and  worship  the  idolatrous  gods 
!  of  their  fathers,  unmolested  and  un- 
harmed, so  long  as  they  are  guilty  of 
no  crimes,  and  do  nothing  calculated 
to  injure  society.  Under  a  theocrati- 
cal  form  of  government  an  idolater 
would  be   punished   with  death ;  for 


112 


CONTENTS. 


idolatry  is  a  great  crime  in  the  sight 
of  God.  A  theocracy  would  consider 
all  religions,  except  one,  criminal,  and 
would  limit  and  circumscribe  all  but 
one.  But  the  government  of  this  na- 
tion is  not  a  theocracy;  it  is  intended 
to  give  religious  freedom  to  all ;  to 
carry  out  these  views,  the  various  re- 
ligions among  pagan  nations  should 
be  tolerated  here,  and  their  followers 
receive  the  same  protection  by  law 
as  the  Methodists,  Baptists,  Presby- 
terians, or  any  other  society.  If  any 
religion  which  does  not  conflict  with 
the  Constitution  of  the  country  is  to 
be  prohibited,  the  same  rule  will  pro- 
hibit all  others.  So  long,  therefore, 
as  the  present  form  of  this  Republi- 
can Government  is  our  standard,  let 
the  religions  of  all  nations  be  equally 
protected.  And  if  any  among  the 
nations  of  Asia  or  Africa,  or  of  the 
islands  of  the  sea,  consider  it  right  to 
have  a  plurality  of  wives,  and  wish 
to  emigrate  with  their  numerous 
families,  and  become  citizens  ot  this 
great  Republic,  they  ought  to  have 
that  privilege,  without  being  com- 
pelled by  the  unconstitutional  State 
laws,  to  break  up  their  families  and 
divorce  all  their  wives  but  one.  The 
present  illiberal  State  laws  virtually 
forbid  emigration  from  about  four- 
fifths  of  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and 
yet  it  is  pretended  that  our  country  is 
an  asylum  for  all  nations.  But  let 
them  try  it  once,  and  they  will  soon 
find  our  prisons  filled  with  sincere  but 
unfortunate  polygamists :  they  will 
soon  find  that,  with  the  exception  of 
one,  all  their  wives,  however  dear  to 
their  hearts,  will  be  torn  from  their 
embrace.  Is  this  freedom  and  liber- 
ty !  Is  this  the  kind  asylum  held  out 
to  the  oppressed  of  all  nations !  ! 
Must  they  relinquish  the  dearest  and 
most  sacred  rights  ever  enjoyed  by 
man,  and  break  asunder  the  family 


ties  of  conjugal  affection  and  love,  in 
order  to  be  made  partakers  of  our 
hospitality?  Boast  not,  O  proud 
America,  of  the  liberality  of  thy  in- 
stitutions, when  such  illiberal  laws 
as  these  curse  thy  soil !  After  having 
been  subjected  to  the  loss  of  his  fami- 
ly, well  might  the  honest  patriarchal 
orientalist  exclaim,  "  Give  me  my 
wives  and  my  children,  and  let  Ameri- 
ca keep  her  proffered  liberty  for  others, 
whose  mines  are  already  trammelled 
under  the  whims  and  superstitions  of 
Papist  and  Protestant  religions ! 
Give  me  my  wives  and  my  children, 
and  I  will  return  to  my  native  coun- 
try, where  the  sacred  rights  of  the 
domestic  circle  are  not  invaded  and 
torn  assunder  by  legislative  enact- 
ments !  Give  me  my  wives  and  my 
children,  for  without  them  the  sound 
of  liberty  has  lost  its  sweetness  in 
my  ear  !  Give  me  my  wives  and  my 
children,  and  I  am  willing  to  endure 
the  hardships  of  the  Old  World,  in 
order  to  escape  from  the  restrictive, 
superstitious,  oppressive  laws  of  the 
New  !  "  These  would  be  the  feel- 
ings of  millions  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  Old  World,  should  they  emigrate 
to  our  country  and  have  their  families 
broken  up,  and  they  imprisoned  for 
polygamy  by  our  unconstitutional 
State  laws.  Why  will  not  American 
citizens,  then,  rise  up  with  one  ac- 
cord and  repeal  those  illiberal  op- 
pressive laws,  and  let  the  liberties 
bequeathed  to  us  by  the  choice  blood 
of  our  illustrious  ancestors  be  enjoyed 
to  their  fullest  extent  ?  Why  will  not 
America  welcome  the  oppressed, 
downtrodden  sons  of  the  Old  World 
to  enjoy  the  luxuries  of  our  soil,  and 
the  great  privileges  of  our  sacred 
Constitution,  without  tearing  from 
their  embrace  that  which  is  dearer 
than  life,  the  moment  that  they  set 
foot  upon  our  shores  ? 


(To  be  continued.) 


CONTENTS. 

The  Pre-existence  of  Man 97 

Celestial  Marriage ." 105 


WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.   C. 

Edited  and  Published  bt  Onsow  Pratt, 

at  $1  per  annum,  invariably  in  advance. 


All  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  He 
lifteth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains.— Isaiah  xvm,  3. 


Vol.  I. 


AUGUST,  1853. 


No.  8. 


THE  PRE-EXISTENCE  OF  MAN. 

(  Continued.) 


88,  Besides  the  laws,  given  to  gov- 
ern each  individual  particle  in  its  or- 
ganized capacity,  there  are  other  laws, 
given  to  govern  the  whole  body.  These 
again  are  of  a  still  higher  order ;  for 
these  laws  which  regulate  the  different 
parts  of  the  organization  for  the  general 
good  of  the  union,  are  altogether  insuf- 
ficient to  govern  the  body  as  a  whole. 
For  instance,  by  the  laws  regulating 
each  particle,  the  whole  system  becomes 
angry  at  the  same  time,  if  a  cause  exist, 
•exciting  that  passion ;  but  this  law  is 
insufficient  to  control  the  passion  when 
it  is  excited.  Another  law  is  required 
to  regulate  the  action  of  the  whole 
system  while  under  the  passion.  Un- 
der the  first  law  no  one  particle  has  a 
right  to  get  angry  while  the  others  are 
pleased ;  they  are  bound  by  law  to  all 
get  angry  at  once,  or  to  all  be  pleased 
at  once,  that  there  may  be  a  perfect 
agreement  in  their  feelings.  Under 
the  second  or  higher  law,  the  whole 
body  of  particles  are  required  to  gov- 
ern the  passions  excited,  in  a  certain 
manner,  in  accordance  with  the  prin- 
ciples of  justice  and  mercy  that  exist 
in  the  bosom  of  the  one  who  gave  the 
law.  The  spiritual  body  in  its  infancy 
is  entirely  ignorant,  as  a  whole,  of  the 
nature  of  justice  and  mercy,  good  and 
evil,  and  such  like  qualities ;  but  laws 
of  justice  and  mercy,  of  good  and  evil, 
being  given,  the  whole  body  learns  to 


control  itself  according  to  those  laws. 
A  violation  of  any  of  thes%  laws,  im- 
mediately brings  unhappiness — that  is, 
the  being  is  chastized,  according  to  the 
nature  of  the  offence,  and  the  penalties 
annexed  to  the  law;  in  this  manner 
the  system  learns,  by  the  things  which 
it  suffers,  to  obey  this  higher  law  Which 
is  very  different  from  any  of  the  pre- 
ceding laws  under  which  the  particles 
have  been  educated.  The  nature  of 
justice  and  mercy,  good  and  evil,  are 
thus  actually  learned  by  experience. 
Obedience  to  the  laws  of  justice,  and 
suffering  the  penalties  of  disobedience, 
impart,  in  the  course  of  time,  a  sense 
of  justice  to  the  particles  in  their  or- 
ganized capacity  :  so  likewise  obedi- 
ence to  the  laws  of  mercy,  and  the 
chastisements,  resulting  from  the  in- 
fringements of  those  laws,  soon  inform 
the  organized  particles,  concerning  the 
nature  of  mercy.  In  like  manner,  a 
sense  of  good  and  evil,  and  of  all  other 
like  qualities,  is  obtained  from  the  en- 
joyments resulting  from  obedience,  and 
the  miseries  inflicted  for  disobedience, 
to  the  laws  given  to  govern  all  those 
qualities  and  passions.  All  these  qual- 
ities, therefore,  are  gained  by  experience. 
The  laws,  being  given  and  adhered  to, 
discipline  and  instruct  the  infant  or 
youthful  spirit  in  the  knowledge  of 
things,  which  previously  it  was  entirely 
ignorant  of. 


114 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


89.  As  all  the  infant  spirits  are  in- 
structed under  the  same  laws,  they  all 
acquire  the  same  sense  of  justice,  mer- 
cy, good,  and  evil.  It  is  for  this  cause, 
that  two  or  more  spirits  do  not  form 
different  ideas  of  the  nature  of  good 
and  evil ;  so  far  as  they  have  been  pro- 
perly educated  and  taught  in  the  same 
law,  one  will  not  call  good,  evil ;  or 
evil,  good ;  and  another  have  a  differ- 
ent idea  of  the  same  principles.  Of 
course,  there  will  he  spirits,  possessing 
different  degrees  of  intelligence,  depend- 
ing on  the  obedience  which  they  have 
rendered  to  the  various  systems  of  laws 
under  which  they  have  acted,  during 
the  past  ages  of  eternity,  and  also  de- 
pending upon  the  length  of  time  in 
which  they  have  been  educated  and 
taught  in  their  spiritual  organization. 
But  so  far  as  they  have  acquired  know- 
ledge, it  has  been  through  the  medium 
of  the  same  laws ;  consequently  the 
same  degree  of  knowledge  in  one,  can- 
not differ  in  its  nature  from  the  same 
degree  of  knowledge  in  another. 

90.  If  one  class  of  spirits  were  edu- 
cated under  a  system  of  laws  which  re- 
warded them  for  doing  that  which  we  call 
evil,  and  punished  them  for  that  which 
we  call  good :  while  another  class  were 
educated  by  laws  of  an  opposite  nature. 
These  two  classes  of  spirits,  when 
brought  together,  would  have  entirely 
opposite  ideas  concerning  good  and 
evil.  The  fact  that  the  spirits  have,  so 
far  as  their  knowledge  extends,  the  same 
ideas  concerning  the  nature  of  justice  and 
mercy,  good  and  evil,  virtue  and  vice — 
shows  most  clearly  a  cause  for  this 
sameness  ;  now  that  which  is  preceded 
by  a  cause  cannot  be  eternal ;  hence, 
there  must  have  been  a  time,  when  this 
sameness  of  knowledge  was  acquired 
by  the  particles  constituting  each 
spiritual  body.  The  capacities  for  per- 
ceiving this  knowledge  are  eternal ;  but 
the  exercise  of  these  eternal  capacities 
in  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the  laws 
of  sfood  and  evil  had  a  beginning".  We 
cannot  conceive  ot  millions  of  beings, 
having  the  same  idea  of  the  nature  of 
good  and  evil,  without  introducing  a 
cause  to  account  for  this  sameness  and 
likeness ;  and  a  cause  always  implies 
a  beginniiiff  to  the  effects  which  follow. 


But  if  millions  of  beings  eternally  pos- 
sessed the  same  idea  of  the  nature  of 
good  and  evil,  all  causes  for  this  same- 
ness of  idea  would  be  excluded :  they 
would  possess  this  sameness  by  chance  : 
if  it  were  eternal,  there  would  be  no 
reason  why  even  two  beings  should 
have  the  same  views  concerning  any- 
thing: but  when  numberless  millions 
of  beings  are  perceived  to  have  the 
same  ideas  in  regard  to  the  nature  of 
different  acts,  calling  one  species  of  acts 
good,  and  another  evil,  it  demonstrates, 
in  the  most  incontrovertible  manner, 
that  these  beings  did  not  possess  these 
ideas  eternally,  hut  that  they  acquired 
them  from  one  common  cause,  which 
instructed  and  enlarged  the  eternal 
capacities  in  the  same  school  of  laws, 
that  the  same  ideas,  the  same  view's, 
and  the  same  knowledge,  might  per- 
vade the  whole,  so  far  as  they  are  in- 
structed. This  sameness  of  ideas  will 
enable  them  to  act  in  unison,  not  only 
for  their  own  individual  benefit,  but  for 
the  benefit  of  the  whole  community  or 
family  of  spirits  with  whom  each  is 
associated. 

91.  While  we  are  obliged  to  admit 
the  eternity  of  the  substance  and  its; 
capacities,  on  the  other  hand,  we  are 
compelled  to  admit  a  beginning  to  the 
organizations  of-  the  particles  of  this 
substance;  there  must  also  have  been 
a  time  when  the  eternal  capacities  be- 
gan to  know  good  and  evil,  justice  and 
mercy,  love  and  hatred;  for  the  same- 
ness of  these  qualities,  existing  in  the 
minds  of  all  mankind  shows  that  they 
must  be  derived  qualities  and  therefore 
that  they  could  not  have  possessed 
them  eternally.  All  must  at  once  see, 
that  the  moment  a  quality  or  thing  is 
admitted  to  be  eternal,  all  causes  for 
the  nature,  or  peculiarity,  or  sameness 
of  the  quality,  and  all  causes  for  the- 
particular  magnitude  or  form  of  the 
thing  or  being,  are  totally  excluded. 
In  regard  to  that  Which  is  eternal,  we 
would  have  no  right  to  ask  the  ques- 
tions, Why  it  is  so  ?  Why  it  possesses- 
such  a  quality  ?  Why  it  has  a  certain 
magnitude  ?  Why  it  exists  in  a  certain 
form  ?  All  such  questions  imply  a 
cause,  and,  therefore,  a  beginning.  If 
we  were  to  admit  that  water  was  eter- 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


115 


nal,  then  it  would  be  entirely  incon- 
sistent to  ask  the  question,  Why  one 
drop  of  pure  water  possessed  precisely 
the  same  qualities  of  another?  If  both 
drops  were  eternal  there  would,  in 
reality,  be  no  cause  for  one  being  of  the 
same  nature  as  the  other.  As  there 
would  be  no  cause  for  any  two  drops, 
out  of  an  infinite  number,  to  be  alike, 
Ave  would  have  no  reason  to  infer,  prior 
to  experience,  that  they  would  taste 
alike,  or  extinguish  fire  alike,,  or  that 
drops  of  the  same  size  would  weigh 
alike,  or  that  they  would  quench  thirst 
alike,  or  that  they  would  manifest  any 
other  qualities  alike.  If,  on  the  ex- 
amination of  the  drops,  we  found  them 
to  possess  qualities  alike,  we  would 
naturally  inquire,  How  came  they  to 
be  alike  ?  The  natural  answer  would 
be,  They  were  designed  to  be  alike  for 
purposes  beneficial  to  the  universe. 
But  if  they  were  designed  to  be  alike, 
there  must  have  been  a  period  before 
that  design  and  before  they  were  alike, 
and  consequently  their  present  qualities 
are  not  eternal,  but  acquired  or  derived 
from  some  anterior  qualities.  So  it  is 
in  relation  to  the  qualities  of  the  hu- 
man mind.  The  very  fact  that  all 
human  minds  look  upon  certain  acts 
to  be  good,  and  certain  others  to  be 
evil,  shows  that  the  qualities  of  the 
mind  are  in  many  respects  precisely 
alike.  If  they  were  eternal  there  would 
be  no  cause  for  any  tAto,  out  of  all 
mankind,  to  have  any  qualities  alike  : 
and  no  one  would  be  able  to  infer, 
prior  to  experience,  that  any  of  the 
rest  of  mankind  possessed  qualities  at 
all  resembling  his  own.  If  the  quali- 
ties were  eternal,  he  could  not  with 
propriety  ask  the  question,  Why  a 
man  possessed  superior  qualities  to  a 
brute  ?  Or,  Why  the  constitution  of 
human  minds  resembled  each  other? 
But  man  finds  by  experience  that  there 
is  a  resemblance  or  similarity  in  the 
constitution  of  all  human  minds,  and 
he  naturally  asks  the  question,  What 
is  the  cause  of  this  likeness  ?  The  an- 
swer naturally  occurs  to  his  own  mind 
that,  It  was  thus  designed  for  the 
general  good  of  man ;  and  consequently 
there  must  have  been  a  time  before  the 
design  took  effect,  when  the  constitu- 


tion of  our  minds  Avere  unlike,  and, 
therefore,  that  the  present  qualities  of 
our  minds  are  not  eternal,  but  are  the 
results  of  the  combinations  of  anterior 
qualities,  which  in  their  turn  are  ao;ain 
the  results  of  the  exercise  of  the  eter- 
nal capacities. 

92.  Thirdly.  Having  investigated 
the  nature  and  origin  of  man's  capa- 
cities, let  us  next  inquire  into  the  ex- 
tent of  those  capacities.  It  is  almost  uni- 
versally supposed  that  the  capacities  of 
man  are  finite — that  is,  limited  in  their 
nature,  and  that  it  is  utterly  impos- 
sible for  man  to  acquire  a  fulness  of  all 
knowledge.  But  this  is  a  false  suppo- 
sition, without  the  least  shadoAv  of 
foundation.  We  shall  proceed  to  prove 
that  the  capacities  of  man  are  not 
finite,  but  infinite.  It  may  be  A\Tell  for 
us  to  define  the  terms,  finite  and 
infinite  before  Ave  proceed  farther. 
These  terms  have  quite  a  different 
sense  Avhen  used  in  relation  to  differ- 
ent things.  When  used  in  reference 
to  space  or  duration,  finite  signifies 
space  or  time  included  Avithin  limits ; 
Avhile  infinite  signifies  boundless  space 
or  endless  duration.  When  used  in 
reference  to  numbers,  the  first  means  a 
limited  number,  and  the  last  a  num- 
ber unlimited  or  an  endless  series  of 
numbers.  When  applied  to  knowledge, 
one  means  to  knoAv  only  in  part,  Avhile 
the  other  is  to  knoAv  in  full.  When 
used  in  reference  to  capacities,  finite 
signifies  a '  capacity  that  is  stationarv 
or  can  only  be  expanded  in  a  limited 
degree,  Avhile  infinite  signifies  a  capa- 
city sufficiently  great  to  grasp  a  ful- 
ness of  all  knowledge,  after  Avhich  ex- 
pansion ceases  for  the  Avant  of  nothing 
more  to  be  learned.  A  being  may 
have  an  infinite  capacity,  and  still  have 
only  a  finite  knowledge.  We  know  of 
no  beings  having  only  finite  capacities. 
Angles,  men,  beasts,  birds,  fish,  and 
insects,  have  finite  knoAvledge,  but  Ave 
have  no  reason  to  suppose  any  of  them 
to  be  limited  in  their  capacities.  For 
aught  Ave  know,  each  and  all  of  them 
may  have  capacities  capable  of  receiv- 
ing infinite  knoAvledge.  If  Ave  were  to 
suppose  that  some  of  these  beings  are 
finite  in  their  capacities,  then  there 
must  be  a  certain  limit  of  knoAvledge, 


116 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


beyond  which  they  can  never  pass : 
for  if  they  were  capable  of  passing  any 
assigned  limits  of  knowledge,  they 
would  be  capable  of  receiving  a  fulness 
of  all  knowledge  which  would  be  in- 
finite. 

93.  The  constitution  of  our  minds 
is   such,  that   we  cannot  easily  con- 
ceive of  a  being  who  is  capacitated  to 
perceive  one  truth,  but  unable  to  per- 
ceive another.     It  is  true,  there  may  be 
obstacles  in  the  way  by  which  this  be- 
ing is  prevented  from  acquiring  a  se- 
cond truth;  but  remove  all  obstacles 
and  place  the  being  in  a  favorable  con- 
dition, the  question  is,  Could  it  not 
perceive  a  second,  a  third,  a  fourth,  or 
even  any  number  of  truths,  as  well  as 
the   first?     We   can   see   no   possible 
hindrance  to  its  advancement  in  know- 
ledge only  by  interposing  obstacles  in 
the  way.     If  the  capacity  have  an  ex- 
istence, which  it  must  have  in  order  to 
perceive  one  truth,  we  cannot  conceive 
how  that  it  could  possibly  be  limited, 
so  as  never,  under  any  circumstances, 
to  be  able  to  perceive  another.     We 
do  not  see  why  a  faculty  that  is  capa- 
ble of  discerning  that  two  are  more 
than  one,  cannot  also  discern  that  three 
are  more  than  two.     Some  truths  are 
more   difficult   to   be   perceived   than 
others,  but  this  is  owing,  not  to  the 
want  of  capacity,  but  to  the  obstacles 
which  intervene  between  the  capacity 
and  the  truth  to  be  perceived.     Let  the 
intervening  obstacles  be  removed,  and 
the  capacity  that  is  able  to  perceive 
one  truth  could    perceive    all    truth. 
Therefore,  wherever  a  being  exists  that 
has  any  knowledge,  however  small  the 
amount,  that  being  has  infinite  capaci- 
ties, capable  of  perceiving  all  things 
past,  present,  and  to  come,  just  as  soon 
as  the  intervening  barriers  are  removed. 
We  are  aware  that  this  idea  is  in  op- 
position  to   the   views   of  almost   all 
mankind:  they  have  been  taught  that 
the  capacities,  as  well  as  the  knowledge 
of   all    beings,  but    God,  were  finite; 
and  from  these  false  premises  they  have 
drawn  the  conclusion  that  no  beings 
could  ever  attain  to  all  the  fulness  of 
the  knowledge  of  God.     If  the  premi- 
ses were  granted,  the  conclusions  would 
be  just:  but  the  premises  are  without 


foundation,  and  are  evidently  false. 
The  capacities  of  man  are  not  only 
eternal,  but  infinite,  and  he  is  capable 
of  receiving  infinite  knowledge.  And 
without  infinite  knowledge  his  capaci- 
ties never  will  be  satisfied. 

94.  It  is  frequently  said  by  philoso- 
phers, that  knowledge  which  is  finite 
can  never  be  increased  so  as  to  become 
infinite ;  but  this  is  in  direct  opposition 
to  fact.     Our  Saviour,  when  He  came 
into   the   world,  possessed   only  finite 
knowledge ;  hence  He  is  represented  as 
increasing  in  wisdom  and  stature.     To 
increase  in   wisdom   evidently  proves 
that  He  was  not  at  that  time  in  the 
possession  of  all  wTisdom.     His  wisdom 
and  knowledge  were  finite.     But  He 
afterwards  attained  a  fulness,  and  as 
Paul  says,  "In  whom  (Christ)  are  hid 
all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  know- 
ledge."    And  again,  "In  him  dwelleth 
all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily." 
(Col.  2 :  3,  9.)     "  It  pleased  the  Father 
that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dwell." 
(Col.  1:  19.)     John  the  Baptist  bore 
record  that  he  beheld  his  glory,  and 
that  he  was  "full  of  grace  and  truth." 
(John  1 :  14.)     At  the  time  his  Father 
gave  him  the  Holy  Spirit,  he,  no  doubt, 
received  a  fulness :  for  John  soon  after 
speaks  thus  of  him :     "  God  giveth  not 
the  Spirit  by  measure  unto  him.     The 
Father  loveth  the  Son,  and  hath  given 
all   things   into   his   hands."       (John 
3 :  34,  35.)     All  the  treasures  of  wis-' 
dom,  knowledge,  and  truth,  were  hid 
in  him ;  he  Avas  full  of  them :  the  ful- 
ness of  the  Spirit,  the  fulness  of  the 
Godhead,  and   the  fulness   of  power, 
dwelt  in  him:   all  things  were  given 
into  his  hand.     There  was  no  wisdom, 
nor  knowledge,  nor  power,  nor  domin- 
ions, that   the  Father   possessed,  but 
what  Jesus  possessed  also.     In  fine,  he 
was  one  in  all  the  fulness  of  the  attri- 
butes and  perfections  of  the  Father.     It 
was  for  this  reason  that  Jesus  said,  "I 
and  my  Father  are  one."     (John  1 0 : 
30.)     Here,  then,  we  have  an  example 
of  finite  knowledge,  wisdom,  and  pow- 
er, increasing  until  the  same  became 
infinite. 

95.  As  we  have  one  example  of 
finite  knowledge  being  increased  to  in- 
finity, we  have  reason  to  believe  that 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


117 


it  may  be  the  case  in  other  instances. 
If  the  First  Born  or  oldest  brother  has 
received  a  fulness,  we  see  no  impro- 
priety in  believing  that  the  younger 
brethren  may  also  receive  the  same 
fulness.  Paul  prayed  that  the  Saints 
u  might  be  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of 
God;'— (Eph.  3:  19.)  And  Jesus 
prayed  that  they  all  might  be  made 
perfect  in  one,  as  he  and  the  Father 
are  one. — (John  17.)  When  these 
prayers  are  answered,  they  will  know 
as  much  as  the  Father  and  Son  know. 
They  will  be  in  the  Father  and  Son, 
and  the  Father  and  Son  will  be  in 
them,  and  the  Father  and  Son  and  all 
the  Saints  will  be  made  perfect  in  one. 
Hence  John  says,  "Beloved,  now  are 
we  the  sons  of  God,  and  it  doth  not 
yet  appear  what  we  shall  be;  but  we 
know  that,  when  he  shall  appear,  we 
shall  be  like  him."— (1  John  3:  2.) 
Not  only  like  him  in  body,  but  also  in 
mind.  For  then  he  "  shall  change  our 
vile  body,  that  it  may  be  fashioned 
like  unto  his  glorious  body."  (Phillip- 
pians  3  :  21.)  Then  Ave  shall  be  per- 
fect as  our  Father  in  Heaven  is  per- 
fect—(Math.  5:  48:)  then  shall  we 
be  pure  as  He  is  pure,  and  holy  as  He 
is  holy :  then  shall  we  know  as  we  are 
known,  and  see  as  wye  are  seen :  then 
shall  we  be  heirs  of  God,  and  joint 
heirs  with  Christ  in  the  inheritance  of 
all  things :  then  shall  knowledge  in 
part  be  done  away,  and  we  shall  know 
in  full :  then  there  will  be  no  knowl- 
edge, or  truth,  or  wisdom  in  the  heights 
above  or  in  the  depths  beneath,  or  in 
the  Heavens,  or  in  the  Heaven  of 
Heavens,  or  in  the  immensity  of  space, 
or  in  the  eternal  ages  of  duration,  but 
what  we  shall  comprehend  and  know  ; 
then  there  will  be  no  Being  or  Beings 
in  existence  that  will  know  one  parti- 
cle more  than  what  we  know :  then 
our  knowledge,  and  wisdom,  and 
power,  will  be  infinite ;  and  cannot, 
from  thenceforth,  be  increased  or  ex- 
panded in  the  least  degree :  then  we 
shall  be  Gods,  because  all  the  fulness 
of  God  will  dwell  within  us. 

96.  It  has  been  most  generally  be- 
lieved that  the  Saints  will  progress  in 
knowledge  to  all  eternity :  But  when 
they  become  one  with  the  Father  and 


Son,  and  receive  a  fulness  of  their  glory, 
that  will  be  the  end  of  all  progression 
in  knowledge,  because  there  will  be 
nothing  more  to  be  learned.  The 
Father  and  the  Son  do  not  progress  in 
knowledge  and  wisdom,  because  they 
already  know  all  things  past,  present, 
and  to  come.  All  that  become  like 
the  Father  and  Son  will  know  as  much 
as  they  do,  and  consequently  will  learn 
no  more.  The  Father  and  Son,  and 
all  who  are  like  them  and  one  with 
them,  already  know  as  much  as  any 
Beings  in  existence  know,  or  ever  can 
know. 

9  7 .  In  the  twenty-second  paragraph  of 
this  article  we  showed  that  there  could 
not  possibly  be  but  one  God,  so  far  as 
the  attributes  are  concerned,  but  so  far 
as  it  regards  persons,  that  there  were 
an  immense  number  of  Gods.  Now 
we  wish  to  be  distinctly  understood 
that  each  of  these  personal  Gods  has 
equal  knowledge  with  all  the  rest ; 
there  are  none  among  them  that  are 
in  advance  of  the  others  in  knowledge ; 
though  some  may  have  been  Gods  as 
many  millions  of  years,  as  there  are 
particles  of  dust  in  all  the  universe, 
yet  there  is  not  one  truth  that  such 
are  in  possession  of  but  what  every 
other  God  knows.  They  are  all  equal 
in  knowledge,  and  in  wisdom,  and  in 
the  possession  of  all  truth.  None  of 
these  Gods  are  progressing  in  knowl- 
edge :  neither  can  they  progress  in  the 
acquirement  of  any  truth. 

98.  Some  have  gone  so  far  as  to  say 
that  all  the  Gods  were  progressing  in 
truth,  and  would  continue  to  progress 
to  all  eternity,  and  that  some  were  far 
in  advance  of  others :  but  let  us  exam- 
ine, for  a  moment,  the  absurdity  of 
such  a  conjecture.  If  all  the  Gods 
will  be  eternally  progressing,  then  it 
follows,  that  there  must  be  a  boundless 
infinity  of  knowledge  that  no  God  ever 
has  attained  to,  or  ever  can  attain  to, 
throughout  infinite  ages  to  come :  this 
boundless  infinity  of  knowledge  would 
be  entirely  out  of  the  reach  and  control 
of  all  the  Gods;  therefore  it  would 
either  not  be  governed  at  all,  or  else 
be  governed  by  something  that  was  in- 
finitely Superior  to  all  the  Gods — a 
something  that  had  all  knowledge,  an  d 


118 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


consequently  that  could  not  acquire 
more.  Have  we  any  right  to  say  that 
there  is  a  boundless  ocean  of  materials, 
acting  under  such  Superior  laws  that 
none  of  the  Gods  to  all  ages  of  eter- 
nity can  be  able  to  understand  them  ? 
We  should  like  to  know  what  Law 
Giver  gave  such  superior  laws  ?  If  it 
be  said  that  the  laws  were  never  given, 
but  that  the  materials  themselves  eter- 
nally acted  according  to  them.  This 
would  not  in  the  least  obviate  the  dif- 
ficulty; for  then  there  would  be  a 
boundless  ocean  of  materials,  possess- 
ing a  knowledge  of  laws  so  infinitely 
superior  to  the  knowledge  of  all  the 
Gods,  that  none  of  them,  by  progress- 
ing for  eternal  ages,  could  ever  reach 
it.  This  is  the  great  absurdity,  result- 
ing from  the  vague  conjecture  that 
there  will  be  an  endless  progression  in 
knowledge  among  all  the  Gods.  Such 
a  conjecture  is  not  only  extremely  ab- 
surd, but  it  is  in  direct  opposition  to 
what  is  revealed. 

99.  We  shall  now  show  from  the 
revelations  given  through  Joseph,  the 
Seer,  that  Gcd  and  his  son,  Jesus 
Christ,  are  in  possession  of  all  knowl- 
edge, and  that  there  is  no  more  truth 
for  them  to  learn,  and  show  also  that 
the  Saints  will  attain  to  the  same  ful- 
ness and  know  as  much  as  they  know. 
First,  we  will  give  Enoch's  testimony 
concerning  God,  the  Father:  "And  it 
came  to  pass  that  the  God  of  Heaven 
looked  upon  the  residue  of  the  people, 
and  He  wept ;  and  Enoch  bore  record 
of  it,  saying,  how  is  it  the  Heavens  weep, 
and  shed  forth  their  tears  as  rain  upon 
the  mountains  ?  And  Enoch  said  unto 
the  Lord,  how  is  it  that  thou  canst 
weep,  seeing  thou  art  holy,  and  from 
all  eternity  to  all  eternity  ?  and  were  it 
possible  that  man  could  number  the 
particles  of  the  earth,  and  millions  of 
earths  like  this,  it  would  not  be  a  be- 
ginning to  the  number  of  thy  creations ; 
and  thy  curtains  are  stretched  out  still ; 
and  yet  thou  art  there  and  thy  bosom 
is  there;  and  also  thou  art  just;  thou 
art  merciful  and  kind  forever;  thou 
hast  taken  Zion  to  thine  own  bosom, 
from  all  thy  creations,  from  all  eternity 
to  all  eternity,  and  nought  but  peace, 
justice,  and  truth,  is  the  habitation  of 


thy  throne ;  and  mercy  shall  go  before 
thy  face  and  have  no  end :  how  is  it 
that  thou  canst  weep?"  Connected 
with  the  reply,  the  Almighty  said  to 
Enoch,  "Behold  I  am  God;  Man  of 
Holiness  is  my  name ;  Man  of  Counsel 
is  my  name ;  and  Endless  and  Eternal 
is  my  name  also.  Wherefore,  I  can 
stretch  forth  mine  hands  and  hold  all 
the  creations  which  I  have  made ;  and 
mine  eye  can  pierce  them  also."  (See 
Joseph  Smith's  inspired  translation 
of  the  Book  of  Genesis,  published  in 
"The  Pearl  of  Great  Price.")  The 
Being  whom  Enoch  here  addressed,  and 
who  conversed  with  him,  is  represented 
in  the  same  connection  as  the  Father 
of  Christ.  This  Being  is  declared  to 
be  "from  all  eternity,"  and  the  creations 
that  He  had  made  were  so  immensely 
numerous,  that  the  particles  of  dust  in 
a  million  of  earths  like  this,  "would 
not  be  a  BEGINNING  to  the  number." 
This  shows  that  His  creations  are  end- 
less, or  in  other  words  infinite  in  num- 
ber. Now  a  finite  number  cannot,  in 
one  sense,  be  a  beginning  to  an  infinite 
number.  The  vast  number  of  particles 
contained  in  millions  of  worlds,  is  still 
only  a  finite  number,  and  is  there- 
fore limited;  but  an  endless  series  of 
worlds  is  not  limited,  and  therefore  can 
have  no  beginning;  and  no  finite  num- 
ber, however  great,  can  be  the  begin- 
ning of  something  that  has  no  begin- 
ning. This  endless  number  of  worlds 
are  ail  held  and  controlled  by  the 
power  of  God,  the  Father  of  Christ. 
And  to  show  that  He  has  a  full 
knowledge  of  them  all,  He  exclaims, 
"Aline  eye  can  pierce  them  also."  The 
perceptive  powers  of  His  vision  must 
be  infinite  or  he  could  not  look  upon 
an  infinite  number  of  creations.  It 
shows  still  further  that  His  "  ej~e  can 
pierce  them  "  all  at  the  same  instant ; 
for  if  He  were  obliged  to  withdraw 
His  vision  from  one  in  order  to  look 
upon  another,  He  never  could  have 
time  to  behold  them  all.  If  He  were 
to  observe  each  only  for  the  short  pe- 
riod of  one  second,  He  could  not  be- 
hold even  a  beginning  of  the  endless 
number  in  as  many  millions  of  ages,  as 
there  are  particles  of  dust  in  the  visi- 
ble  universe;   but   as  His   "eye   can 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAX. 


119 


pierce  them"  all,  lie  must  necessarily 
have  the  power  of  beholding  them  all  at 
the  same  instant.  Moreover,  He  is 
present  with  them  all,  for  Enoch,  in 
speaking  to  the  Lord  in  regard  to  the 
immensity  of  the  numbers  of  His  crea- 
tions, exclaims  "  Thou  art  there,  and 
thy  bosom  is  there.'''  Being  present  in 
■all,  beholding  them  all,  and  governing 
them  all,  He  must  necessarily  have  a 
knowledge  of  them  all.  And  as  the 
number  of  worlds  are  infinite,  His 
knowledge  must  be  infinite,  and,  there- 
fore, He  knows  all  things,  and  can 
know  no  more.  This  agrees  with  what 
this  same  Being  said  to  Moses. 

"And  God  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 
Behold,  I  am  the  Lord  God  Almighty, 
aud  Endless  is  my  name,  for  I  am 
without  beginning  of  days  or  end  of 
years ;  and  is  not  this  Endless  ?  And, 
behold,  thou  art  my  son,  wherefore 
look,  and  I  will  show  thee  the  work- 
manship of  mine  hands,  but  not  all,  for 
my  works  are  without  end,  and  also  my 
words,  for  they  never  cease;  wherefore 
no  man  can  behold  all  my  works,  ex- 
cept he  behold  all  my  glory ;  and  no 
man  can  behold  all  my  glory,  and  af- 
terwards remain  in  the  flesh.  And  I 
have  a  work  for  thee,  Moses,  my  son ; 
and  thou  art  in  the  similitude  of  mine 
Only  Begotten;  and  mine  Only  Begot- 
ten is  and  shall  be  the  Saviour,  for  he 
is  full  of  grace  and  truth;  but  there  is 
no  God  besides  me,  and  all  things  are 
present  with  vie,  for  I knoie  them  all? 
(See  "Pearl  of  Great  Price.")  Here 
the  Father  of  Christ  declares  that  His 
■"works  are  without  end,"  that  "all 
things  are  present"  with  Him,  and 
that  He  knows  them  all. 

The  same  idea  is  conveyed  in  another 
revelation,  as  follows:  "Judgment  go- 
•eth  before  the  face  of  nim  who  sitteth 
upon  the  throne,  and  governeth  and 
executeth  all  things ;  He  comprehendeth 
all  things,  and  all  things  are  before 
Him,  and  all  things  are  round  about 
Him;  and  He  is  above  all  things,  and 
in  all  things,  and  is  through  all  things, 
and  is  round  about  all  things;  and  all 
things  are  by  Him,  and  of  Him,  even 
God,  forever  and  ever."  (Doctrine  and 
Covenants,  sec.  7,  par.  10.)  As  "He 
eomprehendeth  all  things,"  His  knowl- 


edge must  be  infinite;  therefore,  the 
vague  conjecture  that  God,  the  Father, 
can  progress  eternally  in  knowledge,  is, 
as  we  have  shown,  not  only  absurd,  but 
directly  opposed  to  the  revelations 
which  He  has  given. 

100.  We  shall  next  prove  by  the 
new  revelations  that  the  Only  Begot- 
ten Son  is  in  possession  of  equal  know- 
ledge with  the  Father.  "And  I,  John, 
saw  that  He  (Christ)  received  not  of 
the  fulness  at  the  first,  but  received 
grace  for  grace ;  and  He  received  not 
of  the  fulness  at  first,  but  continued 
from  grace  to  grace,  until  He  received 
a  fulness,  and  thus  He  was  called  the 
Son  of  God,  because  He  received  not 
of  the  fulness  at  first."  (Doc.  and  Cov., 
Sec.  83  :  Par.  2.)  What  was  this  ful- 
ness here  mentioned  \  Jesus  answers 
this  question,  "  I  am  the  Spirit  of  truth, 
and  John  bore  record  of  me,  saying, 
He  received  a  fulness  of  truth,  yea  even 
of  ALL  truths  But  what  is  truth? 
"  Truth  is  the  knowledge  of  things 
as  they  are,  and  as  they  were,  and 
as  they  arc  to  come."  (Par.  4.)  John 
was  not  satisfied  with  telling  us  that 
Jesus  received  a  fulness  of  truth,  but 
repeats  the  idea,  "yea,  even  of  all 
truth,"  or  in  other  words,  He  received 
a  fulness  of  the  knowledge  of  all  "  things 
as  they  are,  and  as  they  were,  and  as 
they  are  to  come."  No  power  of  lan- 
guage could  be  able  to  express  the  idea 
in  clearer  or  more  forcible  terms. 
And  now  we  ask,  is  there  any  other 
truth  or  knowledge  in  existence  that 
Jesus  could  learn  ?  We  fearlessly  an- 
swer, No.  A  fulness  of  all  truth  em- 
braces, first,  a  knowledge  of  all  "  things 
as  they  are  "  in  their  present  condition, 
or  in  other  words,  a  knowledge  of  all 
the  worlds  that  now  exist  throughout 
the  boundless  immensity  of  space,  and 
of  all  the  materials  of  nature,  whether 
organized  or  unorganized,  and  of  all 
their  relations,  and  dependencies,  and 
laws,  and  operations,  whether  animate 
or  inanimate,  intelligent  or  unintelli- 
gent; it  embraces  a  knowledge  of 
every  thought  and  desire,  of  every  feel- 
ing and  emotion,  that  exists  among  all 
the  countless  swarms  of  living  beings 
in  all  worlds ;  it  grasps  within  its  infi- 
nite capacity  the  present  state  of  every 


120 


THE   PRE-EXrSTENCE    OF   MAN. 


individual  particle,  its  properties  and 
qualities  in  all  planets  and  suns,  and 
systems,  and  universes  in  the  boundless 
heights  and  depths  of  infinity  itself. 
But  this  is  not  all ;  it  takes  in  the  past 
as  well  as  the  present ;  a  fulness  of  all 
truth,  embraces  an  endless  duration 
that  is  past — a  boundless  ocean  of 
space — an  infinity  of  materials — the 
eternal  and  unceasing  operations  of 
each  particle — a  knowledge  of  the 
exact  condition  of  the  universe  as  a 
whole,  and  in  all  its  parts  in  every  suc- 
cessive instant  from  the  present  back 
through  endless  ages  without  begin- 
ning. But  we  must  not  stop  here ; 
the  fulness  of  all  truth  embraces  a 
knowledge  of  all  things  to  come ;  of  all 
worlds  that  shall  be  organized,  redeem- 
ed, and  glorified;  of  all  the  eternal 
laws,  operations,  and  changes  of  every 
particle  of  substance  in  existence  in 
every  successive  moment  throughout 
eternal  ages  that  will  have  no  end. 
This,  in  connection  with  the  present 
and  the  past,  is  what  constitutes  "  all 
truth'1'' — this  is,  the  infinite  knowledge 
dwelling  in  Christ;  and  this  is  what 
He  received  when  a  fulness  was  given 
unto  Him.  John  informs  us  of  the 
period  when  this  fulness  was  granted. 
"And  I,  John,  bare  record,  and  lo  !  the 
Heavens  were  opened,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  descended  upon  Him  in  the  form 
of  a  dove,  and  sat  upon  Him,  and  there 
came  a  voice  out  of  Heaven,  saying, 
this  is  my  beloved  Son.  And  I,  John, 
bare  record  that  He  received  a  fulness 
of  the  glory  of  the  Father ;  and  He  re- 
ceived all  power,  both  in  Heaven  and 
on  earth,  and  the  glory  of  the  Father 
was  with  Him,  for  He  dwelt  in  Him." 
(Par.  2.)  It  is  this  fulness  of  truth 
that  is  God,  and  that  is  personified  and 
called  by  the  different  names  which 
the  Lord  has  appropriated  to  Himself: 
it  is  this  fulness  of  truth  that  consti- 
tutes the  one  only  true  and  living  God, 
and  besides  Him  there  is  no  God.  He 
dwells  in  countless  myriads  of  temples, 
and  is  in  all  worlds  at  the  same  instant. 
He  is  in  all,  and  over  all,  and  through 
all  things,  and  the  power  by  which 
they  are  governed.  He  is  in  the  per- 
sonage of  the  Father  in  all  of  his  ful- 
ness, even  the  Spirit  of  truth.     God  is 


Truth,  and  Truth  is  God,  and  the  ma- 
terial universe  is  His  tabernacle ;  men 
are  designed  to  be  his  tabernacles 
or  temples,  if  they  will  receive  Him. 
Jesus  says,  "  I  am  in  the  Father,  and 
the  Father  in  me,  and  the  Father  and 
I  are  one  :  the  Father,  because  He  gave 
me  of  His  fulness."  (Par.  1.)  Jesus 
was  called  the  Son  "because  he  re- 
ceived not  of  the  fulness  at  the  first ;" 
and  he  was  called  the  Father  because 
he  afterwards  did  receive  it.  Thus  the 
name  of  Father  is  given  to  the  Son 
not  because  of  the  tabernacle,  but  be- 
cause of  the  fulness  of  truth,  which  is 
the  Father  dwelling  therein. 

101.  We  shall  now  proceed  to  show 
from  new  revelations  that  the  Saints 
are  to  have  equal  knowledge  with  the 
Father  and  Son.  We  now  only  know 
in  part ;  so  far  as  truth  dwells  in  us, 
so  far  the  Father  and  Son  dwell  with- 
in us.  Hear  what  Jesus  says :  "  Be- 
hold, ye  are  little  children  and  ye  can- 
not bear  all  things  now ;  ye  must  grow 
in  grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth.  Fear  not,  little  children,  for 
you  are  mine,  and  I  have  overcome 
the  world,  and  you  are  of  them  that 
my  Father  hath  given  me ;  and  none 
of  them  that  my  Father  hath  given 
me  shall  be  lost :  and  the  Father  and 
I  are  one :  I  am  in  the  Father  and  the 
Father  in  me ;  and  inasmuch  as  ye 
have  received  me,  ye  are  in  me  and  I 
in  you.  Wherefore  I  am  in  your 
midst,  and  I  am  the  good  Shepherd,, 
and  the  Stone  of  Israel.  He  that 
buildeth  upon  this  rock  shall  never 
fall,  and  the  day  cometh  that  you  shall 
hear  my  voice,  and  see  me,  and  know 
that  I  am."  (Doc.  and  Cov.,  Sec.  1 1 : 
Par.  8.)  We  are  in  this  revelation 
represented  as  only  little  children,  not 
able,  as  yet,  to  bear  all  things,  but  are 
commanded  to  grow  in  grace  and  in 
truth ;  and  are  told  that  inasmuch  as 
we  had  received  Him  we  were  in  Him, 
and  He  in  us.  As  the  Father  and  Son 
are  called  Truth,  inasmuch  as  we 
receive  truth,  they  dwell  within  us. 
Where  only  a  small  degree  of  light 
and  truth  dwells  within  us,  there  only 
a  small  portion  of  the  Father  and  Son 
abide  in  us ;  as  we  increase  from  grace 
to  grace,  and  from  truth  to  truth,  so 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAX. 


121 


do  we  in  like  manner  inherit  greater, 
and  still  greater,  portions  of  God,  and 
when  we  receive  a  fulness  of  all  truth, 
then  all  the  fulness  of  God  dwells  in 
us,  even  the  Father  and  Son.  The  ful- 
ness of  all  Truth  in  us  will  make  us 
Gods,  equal  in  all  things  with  the  Per- 
sonages of  the  Father  and  the  Son ; 
and  we  could  not  he  otherwise  than 
equal,  for  He  is  the  same  God  who 
dwells  in  us  that  dwells  in  them ;  in- 
stead of  dwelling  in  two  tahernack's, 
under  the  names  of  the  Father  and 
Son,  He  will  then  dwell  in  the  addi- 
tional tahernacles  of  the  Saints.  And 
wherever  He  dwells  in  fulness,  there 
would  necessarily  he  equality,  in  wis- 
dom, power,  glory,  and  dominion. 

102.  We  will  quote  another  extract 
in  order  to  show  how  we  are  to  attain 
this  fulness.  "And  it  shall  come  to 
pass,  that  if  you  are  faithful,  you  shall 
receive  the  fulness  of  the  record  of 
John.  1  give  unto  you  these  sayings 
that  you  may  understand  and  know 
how  to  worship,  and  know  what  you 
worship,  that  you  may  come  unto  the 
Father  in  my  name,  and  in  due  time 
receive  of  His  fulness,  for  if  you  keep 
my  commandments  you  shall  receive 
of  His  fulness,  and  be  glorified  in  me 
as  I  am  in  the  Father;  therefore,  I  say 
unto  you,  you  shall  receive  grace  for 
grace."  (Doc.  and  Cov.,  sec.  83 :  par. 
3.)  The  fulness  is  to  be  obtained  on 
condition  of  keeping  His  command- 
ments. That  we  are  to  receive  a  ful- 
ness in  the  same  sense  that  He  received 
it,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  when 
we  obtain  that  blessing,  Jesus  says, 
that  we  should  be  glorified  in  Him  as 
He  was  in  the  Father.  In  the  next 
paragraph  we  have  a  still  stronger  evi- 
dence, Jesus  says,  "John  bore  record 
of  me  saying,  He  received  a  fulness  of 
truth,  yea,  even  of  all  truth,  and  no 
man  receiveth  a  fulness  unless  he  keep- 
eth  His  commandments.  He  that 
keepeth  His  commandments  receiveth 
truth  and  light,  until  he  is  glorified  in 
truth  and  knoweth  all  things."  This 
is  as  plain  as  language  can  make  it. 
When   this    promise   is   realized,   the 


Saints  will  know  all  things  past,  pre- 
sent, and  to  come,  and  there  will  be  no 
Being  in  existence  that  will  be  in  ad- 
vance of  them  in  knowledge  and  wis- 
dom. Again,  Jesus  says,  "  If  your  eye 
be  single  to  my  glory,  your  whole  bodies 
shall  be  filled  with  light,  and  there 
shall  be  no  darkness  in  you,  and  that 
body  which  is  filled  with  light  com- 
prehendeth  all  things."  And  still 
again,  "  The  day  shall  come  when  you 
shall  comprehend  even  God;  being 
quickened  in  Him  and  by  Him."  (Doc. 
and  Cov.  7 :  12,  18.)  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  multiply  passages,  for  the  reve- 
lations, both  ancient  and  modern,  are 
very  full  upon  this  point.  Enough  has 
been  quoted  to  demonstrate  that  the 
light  of  the  Saints  will  grow  brighter 
and  brighter  until  the  perfect  day  at 
which  time  their  light  will  be  full  and 
cannot  from  thenceforth  be  increased 
in  brilliancy.  How  much  more  satis- 
factory it  is  to  the  mind  to  contem- 
plate millions  on  millions  of  glorified 
worlds,  each  peopled  with  myriads  of 
Beings  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God 
or  Truth,  than  it  is  to  suppose  them  all 
progressing  in  knowledge  without  a 
possibility  of  ever  attaining  to  a  fulness 
worlds  without  end.  This  perfection 
and  equality  in  knowledge  among  the 
Gods  of  all  ages  and  worlds,  serve  to 
produce  a  perfect  oneness  among  them 
all.  Having  equal  knowledge,  they 
would  of  course  have  equal  wisdom 
and  equal  power,  and  would  act  with 
the  most  perfect  union,  and  harmony, 
and  consert  in  all  things.  But  what 
inextricable  difficulties  and  confusion 
there  would  be,  if  they  differed  in 
knowledge  and  all  of  them  were  pro- 
gressing. The  oneness,  so  necessary 
for  the  peace  and  good  order  of  the 
Heavenly  worlds,  could  not  exist ;  one 
for  the  want  of  the  requisite  knowledge 
would  undo  what  another  of  superior 
knowledge  had  done:  upon  the  pro- 
gressing principle,  they  never  could  be 
made  perfect  in  one,  worlds  without 
eud.  Thus  we  have  abundantly  proved 
that  the  capacities  of  man  are  not  only 
eternal,  but  infinite. 


(To  be  continued.) 


122 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 

(Continued.) 


The  object  of  laws  is  to  prohibit 
-every  practice  which  is  calculated  to 
injure  individuals  or  society.  But  in 
what  respect  are  individuals  or  society 
injured  by  the  practice  of  a  plurality 
of  wives  ?  We  answer,  in  no  respect 
whatever.  The  objector  may  say  that 
such  a  practice  is  calculated  in  some 
instances  to  produce  poverty  and 
bring  distress  upon  the  family,  and, 
therefore,  should  be  considered  crimi- 
nal, and  prohibited  by  law.  We  reply, 
that  there  are  many  practices  which 
bring  poverty  and  distress,  and  yet 
those  practices  are  perfectly  lawful. 
For  instance,  the  slave  holder  may  re- 
duce himself  to  poverty,  by  accumu- 
lating slaves,  and  by  a  mismanagement 
of  them.  Would  the  Southern  States 
consider  this  a  crime  ?  Would  they 
prohibit  by  law  the  purchase  of  slaves, 
because,  in  some  instances  it  reduced 
the  purchaser  to  poverty  and  brought 
distress  upon  himself  and  family  ?  And 
again ;  a  man  may  bring  poverty  and 
distress  upon  himself  and  family  by 
unwisely  employing  mechanics,  clerks, 
day  laborers,  (fee.  Would  any  of  the 
States  or  Territories  consider  this  crimi- 
nal ?  Would  they  enact  laws  to  pro- 
hibit the  hiring  of  mechanics  and  la- 
borers, because,  in  some  instances,  it 
reduces  to  poverty  ?  Another  instance ; 
many  persons  by  marrying  one  wife 
reduce  themselves  from  a  state  of 
wealth  to  abject  poverty,  yet  no  State 
would,  for  such  a  reason,  denounce  the 
marriage  of  one  wife  as  criminal  and 
prohibit  it  by  law.  We  might  mul- 
tiply any  amount  of  instances,  where 
poverty  and  distress  are  brought  upon 
families  by  the  practice  of  things  which 
are  perfectly  justifiable  by  the  law. 
Because  a  plurality  of  wives  may,  in 
some  instances,  reduce  a  family  to  pov- 
erty, is  no  reason,  therefore,  why  it 
should  be  prohibited  by  law,  any  more 
than  thousands  of  other  practices  which 
may  produce  the  same  results.  But 
in  the  most  of  cases,  the  plurality  sys- 
tem would  have  a  contrary  tendency  : 
instead  of  diminishino-  the  wealth  of  a 


family  it  would  increase  it.  A  large 
number,  bound  together  by  the  strong 
ties  of  family  affection,  and  taking 
hold  of  business  in  a  united  capacity, 
will  be  able,  most  frequently,  to  ac- 
complish more  than  the  same  number 
of  individuals  acting  separately,  and 
governed  only  by  individual  interest. 
A  union  of  interest  and  action  is  ad- 
mitted by  all  to  be  more  powerful  in 
its  results,  than  disunion.  A  numerous 
family  of  children  are  calculated  to  ac- 
cumulate wealth,  or  to  accomplish  any 
other  object  by  their  united  energy, 
more  than  a  small  family.  Hence,  the 
Psalmist  says,  "  Children  are  an  heri- 
tage of  the  Lord."  Happy  is  the  man 
that  hath  his  quiver  full  of  them : 
they  shall  not  be  ashamed,  but  they 
shall  speak  with  the  enemies  in  the 
gate"  (Ps.  127.)  Instead  of  a  large 
family  being  a  disadvantage  in  point 
of  wealth  or  strength,  they  are  of  great 
advantage.  Therefore,  so  far  as  this 
cause  has  any  bearing,  it  would  be 
more  just  for  the  States  to  prohibit  the 
one-wife  system,  than  to  prohibit  the 
system  of  plurality. 

Sometimes  objections  are  urged 
against  the  plurality  system,  by  saying, 
that  it  takes  away  the  rights  of  women, 
and,  therefore,  it  should  be  prohibited 
by  law.  But  what  rights  of  women 
does  it  take  away  ?  If  several  women 
voluntarily  and  from  their  own  choice, 
and  with  the  consent  of  their  relatives, 
wish  to  unite  their  destinies  with  one 
man,  what  rights  have  been  taken 
away  ?  what  injuries  have  been  sus- 
tained either  by  themselves  or  by  so- 
ciety in  general  ?  We  answer,  none  at 
all.  On  the  other  hand,  the  rights  of 
women  are  destroyed  and  taken  from 
them  in  prohibiting  them  by  law  to 
have  the  man  of  their  choice:  they 
are  compelled,  by  legislative  enact- 
ments, to  relinquish  all  hopes  of  mar- 
rying a  man  upon  whom  their  affec- 
tions are  placed,  and  obliged,  if  they 
marry  at  all,  to  go  contrary  to  every 
feeling  of  their  nature — to  be  united 
with  one  for  whom  they  have  no  love. 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


123 


How  many  thousands  of  women  there  [ 
are  who  would  rather  remain  single  all 
their  days,  than  to  accept  the  otters  of 
many  profligate  young  men  for  whom 
they  entertain  no  other  feelings  but 
those  of  disgust.  Could  these  same 
women  have  their  rights  which  natu- 
rally belong  to  them,  but  which  our 
illiberal  State  governments  have  de- 
prived them  of,  they  would  unite  their 
destinies  with  good  men,  and  be  infi- 
nitely more  happy  under  the  plurality 
system,  than  they  would  be  to  remain 
in  a  state  of  celibacy,  or  to  be  united 
with  some  wicked  profligate.  Give 
women  their  rights;  let  them  marry 
the  man  of  their  choice.  AYhere  pure 
affection  exists,  there  let  them  consu- 
mate  that  effection  by  freely  uniting 
themselves  in  the  sacred  bonds  of  mat- 
rimony with  the  man  whom  they  love, 
and  who  loves  them  sufficiently  to 
make  them  the  partners  of  his  bosom 
for  life.  Any  thing  short  of  this  is 
illiberal  and  destroys  the  rights  of 
women. 

It  is  said  that  plurality  destroys  the 
rights  of  the  first  wife,  and,  therefore, 
should  not  be  tolerated  by  law.  This 
depends  upon  circumstances.  If  a  man 
has  been  foolish  enough  to  make  a  con- 
tract with  a  woman  previous  to  their 
marriage,  that  he  will  never  many 
another  while  she  lives,  then  it  would 
be  taking  away  her  rights  to  violate 
that  contract  without  her  consent. 
Such  a  man,  under  such  a  contract, 
should  not  be  permitted  by  the  laws 
of  the  States  to  break  his  agreement, 
for  in  so  doing,  he  would  take  away 
the  rights  which  he  has  guaranteed  to 
her.  But  if  a  man  marry  a  woman 
without  binding  himself  by  such  aeon- 
tract,  or  if  he  marry  her  with  an  un- 
derstanding that  he  can  marry  others 
wdien  he  thinks  proper  so  to  do,  then 
there  are  no  rights  of  the  first  wife 
taken  away,  nor  no  contracts  broken. 
The  first  wife,  under  these  circumstan- 
ces, enjoys  all  the  rights  that  she  had 
any  reason  to  expect.  When  she  gave 
herself  to  her  husband,  it  was  not  by 
compulsion ;  she  freely  and  volunta- 
rily consented  to  be  his,  with  the  full 
understanding  that  he  might  marry 
others,  whenever  he  chose.    A  woman, 


under  these  circumstances  is  divested 
of  no  rights  only  what  she  has  volun- 
tarily surrendered.  She  prefers  rather 
to  be  united  with  such  a  man,  though 
she  may  share  but  a  measure  of  his 
attention,  than  to  live  a  life  of  celibacy 
or  be  obliged  to  marry  one  whom  she 
loves  less.  Therefore  the  objection 
against  plurality  upon  this  ground  is 
wholly  without  foundation. 

Another  objection  is  urged  against 
plurality  by  pretending  that  it  corrupts 
the  morals  of  society,  and,  therefore, 
it  is  argued  that  it  should  be  consider- 
ed a  crime,  and  be  prohibited  by  law. 
But  Ave  ask  what  morals  of  society 
does  it  corrupt?  Morality  is  only 
another  name  for  virtue,  goodness, 
righteousness.  Immorality  is  its  op- 
posite— that  is,  vicious,  evil,  unrighte- 
ous. To  be  moral  is  to  be  innocent  of 
crime :  to  be  immoral  is  to  be  guilty 
of  crime.  It  can  neither  be  shown 
from  reason  nor  the  word  of  God  that 
plurality  is  criminal,  and  hence  it  can- 
not be  immoral,  and  therefore  the  mo- 
rals of  society  are  not  in  the  least  en- 
dangered by  its  practice.  On  the  con- 
trary, plurality  is  a  great  and  powerful 
antidote  against  immorality.  How 
many  hundreds  of  thousands  of  women 
there  are,  who,  in  consequence  of  hav- 
ing no  opportunities  of  marriage,  yield 
themselves  up  to  a  life  of  profligacy, 
and  become  notoriously  immoral  and 
unvirtuous.  If  these  same  females  had 
not  been  deprived  of  the  rights  which 
all  should  enjoy  under  our  glorious 
Constitution,  they  might  have  united 
themselves  to  some  virtuous  good  men, 
and  been  happy  as  their  second  or 
third  wives,  and  thus  been  saved  from 
the  temptations  and  evils  into  which 
they  have  fallen.  Look  at  the  mis- 
ery and  wretchedness  of  thousands 
of  females  in  almost  every  city  in 
America  and  Europe — inquire  into  the 
causes  of  their  shameful  and  criminal 
course  of  life,  and  it  will  be  found  that 
in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  they  were 
driven  to  that  state  of  degradation  for 
the  want  of  a  protector — a  husband  in 
whom  they  could  centre  their  affections, 
and  on  whom  they  could  rely  for  a 
support.  Would  it  not  have  been  far 
better  for  these  females  to  have  been 


124 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


honorably  connected  in  marriage,  ac- 
cording to  the  plurality  system,  than 
to  have  plunged  themselves  into  the 
vortext  of  irretreivable  ruin?  What 
an  immense  amount  of  immorality,  and 
consequent  suffering  would  have  been 
prevented,  had  the  State  governments 
not  been  influenced  by  the  corrupt 
traditions  of  Apostate  Christianity  in 
prohibiting  plurality  and  denouncing 
it  criminal !  But  this  order  of  things 
would  not  only  prevent  females  from 
becoming  public  prostitutes,  but  would 
promote  virtue  among  the  males.  Be- 
cause of  the  vast  numbers  of  unvirtu- 
ous  females  with  which  the  nations  are 
cursed,  many  young  men  neglect  mar- 
riage, and  seek  to  gratify  their  sexual 
propensities  by  unlawful  and  sinful 
connections.  If  no  public  female  pros- 
titutes existed,  or  if  they  rarely  could 
be  found,  the  natural  consequences 
would  be,  that  young  men,  instead  of 
abandoning  themselves  to  prostitution, 
would  seek  to  unite  themselves  in  honor- 
able marriage  with  the  partners  of  their 
choice.  Plurality,  therefore,  not  only 
would  be  a  preventative  against  female 
prostitution,  but  would  diminish  the 
causes  or  means  of  prostitution  on  the 
part  of  the  males.  Young  men  aban- 
don themselves  to  vice  and  immorality 
in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  temp- 
tation and  evil  influences  with  which 
they  are  surrounded.  Diminish  the 
causes  and  the  effects  are  diminished 
also :  and  if  the  cause  be  destroyed  the 
effect  ceases.  Let  our  State  laws  per- 
mit plurality,  and  it  will  seldom  be  the 
case  that  a  female  will  yield  to  pros- 
titution, prefering  lawful  marriage  to  a 
life  of  degradation  and  suffering.  The 
army  of  degraded  females,  receiving 
little  or  no  accession  to  their  numbers, 
would  soon  be  diminished  and  eventu- 
ally destroyed  by  their  own  folly  and 
wickedness,  and  thus,  the  causes  of 
temptation  having,  in  a  great  degree, 
ceased,  young  men  would  walk  in  a 
more  healthy  atmosphere,  and  not  In- 
constantly allured,  as  they  are  now, 
from  the  paths  of  virtue.  Plurality 
would  also  diminish  greatly  the  temp- 
tations which  beset  the  paths  of  mar- 
ried men,  as  well  as  those  who  are 
young ;  they  would  no  longer  be  under 


the  temptation  to  keep  a  mistress  se- 
cretly, and  to  break  the  marriage  cove- 
nant, and  thus  sin  against  their  wives 
and  against  God.  How  many  thou- 
sands there  are  who  practice  this  great 
abomination.  And  why  do  they  do  it  ? 
Because  they  are  compelled  by  our 
bigoted  State  laws  to  confine  them- 
selves to  one  wife.  Had  they  the  lib- 
erty which  four-fifths  of  the  other  na- 
tions have,  and  which  the  Bible  and 
our  National  Constitution  guarantee, 
they  could  marry  a  plurality  of  wives, 
and  be  compelled  to  support  them  and 
their  children,  instead  of  having  their 
secret  mistresses,  and  turning  them 
away  when  they  get  tired  of  them. 
Which,  think  you,  a  woman  would 
prefer  ?  Would  she  rather  live  in 
adultery  with  a  man,  subject,  at  any 
moment,  to  be  turned  away,  penny]  ess 
and  unprotected,  or  to  be  lawfully 
united  with  him  in  honorable  wedlock  ? 
Would  she  not  infinitely  prefer  the 
latter  to  the  former  ?  If  plurality  ex- 
isted, it  wrould  be  very  seldom  that 
women  would  consent  to  be  mistresses. 
Plurality,  therefore,  instead  of  injuring 
the  morals  of  society,  would  have  an 
effect  directly  the  reverse ;  it  would 
greatly  purify  society  from  the  immo- 
ralities which  now  exist.  How  long 
shall  the  State  governments  be  cursed 
with  such  illiberal  laws  !  When  will 
the  people  awake  to  a  consciousness  of 
their  duties,  and  repeal  those  acts 
which  have  resulted  in  so  much  evil ! 
When  will  they  learn  to  be  freemen  ac- 
cording to  the  spirit  of  the  Constitution, 
and  no  longer  fetter  themselves  with 
the  chains  of  superstition,  handed  down 
from  the  dark  ages  of  Popery  !  Arise, 
Americans,  arise !  break  every  yoke 
that  tends  to  bondage !  Assume  the 
dignified  position  of  American  citizens  ! 
Maintain  inviolate  the  choice  liberties 
of  your  country — the  liberties  so  dearly 
purchased  by  your  illustrious  ancestors ! 
let  not  the  galling  chains  of  priest- 
craft bind  the  nation's  conscience !  let 
not  the  bigoted  traditions  and  customs 
of  Apostate  religions  influence  your 
legislative  departments !  let  not  the 
judgment  and  wisdom  of  your  great 
statesmen  be  swayed  from  the  impor- 
tant principles  of  liberty,  so  dear  to 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


125 


every  American  heart !  let  no  laws  be 
enacted,  denouncing  as  crime,  that 
which  reason,  morality,  and  the  word 
of  God,  approve,  as  a  virtue !  let  no 
laws  prohibit  you  from  the  enjoyments, 
arising-  from  domestic  relations  which 
are  reasonable,  moral,  virtuous,  pure, 
and  good  !  If  your  fathers  have  been 
in  bondage  to  Romish  superstitions, 
remember  that  you  are  free  !  Yes,  free 
from  religious  intolerance  !  free  from 
all  nations  under  Heaven  !  free  to  enjoy 
all  blessings,  unmolested,  which  God 
has  ordained  for  man,  unless  you,  your- 
selves, prefer  laws  tending  to  bondage, 
rather  than  liberty ! 

Another  objection  to  plurality  is 
made  by  pretending  that  it  is  calcula- 
ted to  excite  jealousies  in  families,  and, 
therefore,  it  is  argued  to  be  criminal, 
and  should  be  prohibited  by  law.  If 
several  women  mutually  agree  to  be 
the  wives  of  the  same  man,  and  he 
treats  them  with  impartiality,  we  see 
no  cause  existing  for  jealousy.  Each 
receives  all  the  attention  which  she  ex- 
pected to  receive,  when  she  entered 
into  the  matrimonial  contract.  If 
jealousies  should  arise,  they  would  be 
entirely  of  a  different  nature  from  those 
occasioned  by  unlawful  steps  taken  by 
a  husband.  If  a  husband  violate  the 
laws  of  virtue  by  unlawful  connections, 
the  wife  loses  confidence  in  him  ;  aud 
when  confidence  is  gone,  peace  and 
quietness  are  gone,  and  the  foundation 
of  happiness  is  destroyed  in  the  family. 
Not,  so,  when  jealousies  arise  between 
members  of  the  same  family.  Each 
wife  knows  that  the  other  wives  are  as 
much  entitled  to  the  attention  of  the 
husband  as  she,  herself;  she  knows 
that  such  attentions  are  not  criminal, 
therefore,  she  does  not  lose  confidence 
in  him  ;  though  she  may  consider  him 
partial,  in  some  respects,  yet  she  has 
the  consolation  to  know  that  his  at- 
tentions towards  them  are  strictly  vir- 
tuous. Confidence  being  retained,  the 
elements  of  happiness  are  retained. 
Jealousies,  arising  from  unvirtuous  con- 
duct, are  mingled  with  a  consciousness 
of  the  guilt  of  the  individual ;  while 
those  aiising  from  the  other  cause  have 
no  such  distressing  reflections  ;  the  first 
is  cruel  as  the  grave,  knawing,  like  the 


worm  that  never  dies,  at  the  very  heart- 
strings of  enjoyment  and  peace,  while 
the  latter  is  only  a  partial  transitory 
evil  which  is  speedily  dissipated  by  the 
kindness  and  attention  of  the  husband. 
Plurality,  as  we  have  already  stated, 
is  a  great  preventative  to  unvirtuous 
connections,  and  therefore  is  a  remedy 
against  the  jealousies  arising  from  such 
causes.  And  as  for  the  other  kind  of 
jealousy,  if  it  should  be  stigmatized  by 
that  name,  it  is  of  trivial  importance  ; 
like  the  jealousies  which  frequently 
arise  between  children,  it  is  soon  gone. 
This  kind  of  jealousy  is  not  the  result 
of  plurality,  but  a  result  of  partiality 
or  supposed  partiality.  If  plurality 
should  be  prohibited  on  account  of 
jealousies  which  may  arise,  monogamy 
or  the  one-wife  system  should  be 
prohibited  on  account  of  the  still 
greater  jealousies  which  may  arise 
for  fear  the  husband  may  keep  his 
secret  mistresses,  as  many  thousands 
do.  These  kind  of  jealousies  work  far 
greater  evils  in  society,  than  what  the 
other  kind  can  possibly  do.  If  the 
great  object  be  to  put  a  stop  by  law 
to  the  evils  arising  from  jealousies,  let 
laws  be  enacted,  requiring  man  to  have 
a  plurality  of  wives,  or  else  none  at  all; 
prohibit  the  one  wife  practice,  and  you 
will  accomplish  much  more  than  you 
do  by  prohibiting  plurality.  But  we 
say  let  no  prohibitory  laws  be  passed 
in  regard  to  how  many  wives  a  man 
may,  or  may  not  have  ;  leave  every 
man  free  in  this  respect,  and  in  a  very 
few  years,  you  would  see  a  great  re- 
formation in  the  morals  of  the  countrv; 
you  would  see  not  one-tenth  part  of 
the  prostitution  that  is  seen  now  ;  you 
would  see  females  fulfilling  the  noble 
purpose  of  their  creation,  instead  of 
being  abandoned  prostitutes,  houseless, 
homeless,  and  childless,  going  down  to 
their  graves  in  wretchedness  and  mis- 
ery, uncared  for  and  unlamented. 

Another  objection  presented  against 
plurality  is,  that  it  is  contrary  to  the 
customs  of  American  and  European  na- 
tions, and  for  this  cause  should  be  con- 
sidered criminal,  and  prohibited  by 
legislative  enactments.  In  reply  to  this 
objection,  we  say  that  there  are  many 
things  which  are  entirely  contrary  to 


12G 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


the  general  customs  of  the  people, 
which  are  not  criminal,  and  which 
would  be  a  violation  of  the  Consti- 
tution to  prohibit.  The  Shakers  be- 
lieve in  dancing  in  their  religious  as- 
semblies on  the  Sabbath  day;  this 
practice  is  wholly  derogatory  to  the 
customs  of  the  nation.  Would  it  be 
lawful  and  right  to  enact  laws,  pro- 
hibiting this  practice  of  the  Shakers, 
on  the  ground  of  its  being  contrary  to 
custom  ?  Another  class  of  individuals 
believe  in  the  abominable  practice  of 
sprinkling  infants,  actually  practicing 
this  abomination  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord.  This  is  entirely  contrary  to  the 
customs  of  the  great  majority  of  this 
nation.  Must  this  class  be  prohibited 
from  this  practice,  because  it  is  con- 
trary to  the  custom  of  the  nation? 
The  Shakers,  and  some  other  commu- 
nities, have  adopted  the  ancient  prac- 
tice of  having  all  their  property  as 
common  stock:  this  is  also  entirely 
different  from  the  general  custom  of 
the  nation ;  must  it,  for  this  reason,  be 
prohibited  by  law  ?  The  Roman  Catho- 
lics practice  many  ceremonies  and  or- 
dinances which  the  great  majority  of 
the  nation  do  not  practice.  Must  their 
customs  be  denounced  as  criminal  and 
be  prohibited  by  law,  because  they  are 
different  from  those  of  the  nation? 
Each  society  in  the  United  States  have 
some  practices  which  agree  with  the 
national  customs,  and  some  which  are 
p3culiar  to  themselves.  Would  it  ac- 
coid  with  the  spirit  of  the  Constitu- 
tion to  compel  each  society  to  cease 
all  of  their  peculiar  practices,  because 
they  were  not  national  customs  ?  The 
Church  of  the  Latter-Day  Saints  prac- 
tice in  many  respects  according  to 
national  customs,  and  in  other  respects 
thev  have  their  peculiar  customs,  like 
all  other  societies.  It  matters  not  how 
much  the  peculiar  customs  of  a  so- 
ciety may  differ  from  the  national  ones, 
providing  that  they  are  not  immoral, 
or  criminal,  or  calculated  to  injure  so- 
ciety. The  peculiar  customs  of  plu- 
rality, practiced  by  some  in  Utah,  in 
no  wav  interferes  with  the  rights  of 
anv  one  :  it  is  in  no  way  immoral ;  it 
in "  no  wav  injuries  the  parties  them- 
selves, or  any  one  else ;  it  is  in  no  way 


unscriptural ;  it  is  in  no  way  conflicting 
with  the  Constitution ;  it  is  in  no  way 
violating  any  of  the  laws  of  Utah,  or 
any  other  laws  to  which  the  citizens  of 
that  Territory  are  ameniable.  There- 
fore, there  is  no  reason  whatever  for 
calling  it  a  crime,  or  for  passing  legis- 
lative enactments  against  it. 

It  is  difficult  for  us  to  imagine,  why 
State  Governments  ever  considered  it 
necessary  to  pass  laws  confining  their 
citizens  to  one  wife.  We  can  see  no 
causes  or  necessity  whatever  for  such 
laws.  They  are  laws  founded  wholly 
on  custom.  Because  the  European  na- 
tions, from  whom  they  originated,  have 
been  bound  down  under  these  illiberal 
institutions,  and  have  had  a  yoke 
placed  upon  their  necks  by  priestcraft, 
and  by  a  union  of  the  ecclesiastical 
with  the  civil  powers,  our  fathers  could 
not  all  at  once  free  themselves  from 
these  traditionary  superstitions.  They 
must  follow  the  customs  of  their  fa- 
thers in  some  respect,  however  incon- 
sistant  they  may  be.  How  true  is  the 
sentiment  that  a  people  who  have  been 
long  in  bondage,  or  under  the  influence 
of  erroneous  traditions,  can  only  free 
themselves  by  degrees.  We  see  this 
verified  in  the  American  nation  :  they 
have  broken  the  yoke  of  tyranny  and 
oppression,  and  have  planted  the  germs 
of  liberty  upon  their  soil ;  they  call 
themselves  free,  but  they  are  only  free 
in  part.  Their  Legislative  departments 
are  still  tinctured  with  priestcraft,  or 
with  the  illiberal  sentiments  imbibed 
by  our  fathers  under  the  oppressive  in- 
stitutions of  the  European  powers. 
This  is  exemplified  by  their  still  fol- 
lowing those  governments  in  the  pro- 
hibition of  plurality.  The  States  can 
render  no  reason  why  they  follow  this 
erroneous  tradition,  only  to  say,  "  it 
was  the  custom  of  our  fathers."  Is  it 
not  time  that  legislators  and  statesmen 
should  begin  to  inquire  into  the  rea- 
son of  their  laws  ?  It  is  not  sufficient 
to  satisfy  the  advancing  spirit  of  the 
ao-e,  to  tell  us  that  certain  laws  are 
enacted,  because  they  are  sanctioned 
by  the  customs  of  the  dark  and  tyranni- 
cal ages.  It  is  not  enough  to  merely 
say,  we  denounce  an  act  as  criminal, 
because  the  European  nations  denounce 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


127 


it.  If  the  sons  of  American  freedom 
are  to  be  prohibited  from  certain  prac- 
tices which  they  may  consider  perfectly 
innocent,  they  wish  to  be  informed 
wherein  those  practices  are  criminal : 
they  do  not  wish  to  be  brought  into 
bondage  blind-folded.  Neither  do  they 
wish  to  elect  legislators  to  palm  upon 
them  the  impositions  of  Popery,  be- 
cause they  are  customary  among  other 
nations.  We  wish  some  of  our  wise 
statesmen,  or  some  other  competent 
persons,  would  take  up  the  subject  of 
plurality  and  show  wherein  it  is  im- 
moral, or  unscriptural,  or  criminal. 
Upon  this  subject,  the  people  want 
arguments,  not  denunciations;  reason, 
not  sophistry;  evidence,  not  popular 
traditions  or  customs;  they  want  a 
clear,  lucid  demonstration  that  the 
practice  is  evil.  If  there  are  no  per- 
sons competent  to  the  task,  they  will 
signify  it,  by  continuing  to  follow  the 
old  custom  of  denunciation,  or  at  least, 
by  their  silence. 

The  States  should  not  only  permit 
plurality,  but  enact  wise  and  judicious 
laws   regulating  the  same.     The  hus- 
band should  be  compelled  by  law  to 
provide  for  his  different  wives  and  chil- 
dren, the  same  as  if  he  had  but  one. 
The  law  should    make  provisions  for 
each  of  his  wives  and  children   upon 
his  decease,  to  inherit  a  share  of  the 
property.      The    law  should    consider 
him  bound  for  life  to  each  of  his  wives 
the  same  as  if  he  had  married  but  one  ; 
he  should  not  be  considered  divorced 
from  either,  only  through  due  course 
of   law ;    and  adultery  should  be   the 
only  crime,  as  our  Savour  has  said,  for 
which  a   man  should  be  justified    in 
putting  away  either  of  his  wives.     If, 
instead    of   abolishing    plurality,    the 
States  would  regulate  the  same  under 
good  and  wholesome  laws,  they  would 
make  it  far  better  for  the  female  por- 
tion of  the  community ;  and  thus  in 
time  would  redeem  the  nation  from  the 
terrible  evils  of  prostitution  with  which 
they  are  now  cursed.      We  have  in 


riage  in  relation  to  the  divine  govern- 
ment  of  Heaven,  we  say,  as  we  have 
already  expressed    ourselves,  that  no 
man  in  this  nation,  nor  any  other,  has 
a  divine  right  to  marry  even  one  wife, 
much  less  a  plurality,  until  he  becomes 
righteous  enough  to  bring  up  his  chil- 
dren according  to  the  law  of  Heaven; 
and  to  save  himself  and  his  children 
in  the  eternal  worlds.    There  is  a  broad 
distinction  to  be  made  in  relation  to 
this  thing,  between  the  divine  govern- 
ment and   human  governments ;  and 
they  should  in  no  Avise  be  confounded 
in   one.     Church  and  State  are  with 
the  American  nation  entirely  distinct. 
By  the  laws  of  the  church  the  wicked 
should  have  no  right  nor  title  to  the 
divine  institution  of  marriage ;  by  the 
laws  of  the  State  they  should  have  the 
right  of  marrying  as   many  wives  as 
they  please;    it    is    a   privilege  which 
they  have  a  right  to  claim,  accoiding 
to  the  spirit  and  genius  of  the  Con- 
stitution ;  it  is  a  violation  of  the  prin- 
ciples   of   liberty,   contained    in    that 
sacred  document,  to  limit  them  to  one, 
when  two  or  more  are  just  as  honora- 
ble as  one.     It  is  true,  God  has  noth- 
ing to  do  with  their  marriages  while 
in  a  state  of  wickedness.      \\  hether 
they  have  one  wife  or  a  dozen,  it  is  all 
illegal    so    far    as  God  is  concerned. 
But  to  be  consistent  with  the  form  cf 
government    which    the    nation    has 
adopted,  there  should  be    no    restric- 
tions in  regard  to  the  number. 

There  is  an  entire  distinction  in  the 
Territory  of  Utah,  as  in  all  other  Ter- 
ritories, between  the  civil  government, 
and  the  various  forms  of  church  gov- 
ernments. The  civil  government  cf 
Utah,  has  not  seen  proper  to  abridge 
the  liberties  of  its  citizens  in  regard  to 
the  number  of  wives  that  they  may 
have.  Therefore,  the  Presbyterians, 
the  Baptists,  the  Methodists,  the  Lat- 
ter-Day Saints,  and  all  other  denomi- 
nations, or  individuals,  whether  be- 
lievers in  any  creed  or  unbelievers,  wl.o 
may  feel  disposed  to  settle  in  Utah, 


these  arguments  set  forth  what  should  J  have,  each  and  all  of  them,  the  liberty 
be  tolerated  in  regard  to  plurality,  so ,  of  marrying  as  many  wives  as  they 
far  as  the  genius  of  our  Government  j  think  proper,  and  the  civil  government 
and  our  legislative  enactments  are  con-  will  not  interfere  with  them.  But  if 
cerned.     But  when  we  consider  mar- 1  the  Latter-Dav  Saints,  or  any  other 


128 


CONTENTS. 


denomination  in  that  Territory,  feel  it 
their  duty  to  limit  the  members  of 
their  respective  churches  to  one  wife, 
or  to  none  at  all,  (like  the  Shakers,) 
under  the  penalty  of  the  disfellowship 
of  their  church,  they  have  the  most 
perfect  liberty  there,  as  in  all  other 
territories,  so  to  do.  If  any  member 
of  the  Latter-Day '  Saints  should  not 
be  permitted  by  his  church  to  marry 
two  wives,  he  could  still,  by  rebelling 
against  the  rules  of  his  church,  go  and 
marry  two  under  the  civil  law ;  and 
the  Latter-Day  Saint  Church  could  do 
nothing  with  him,  only  to  expel  him 
from  their  fellowship.  Any  denomi- 
nation in  any  State  or  Territory  have 
the  most  undoubted  rights  to  prohibit 
marriage  altogether  so  far  as  their 
church  is  concerned;  but  they  have 
no  right  to  interfere  with  the  civil  laws, 
regulating  marriages. 

The  denomination  called  the  Latter- 
Day  Saints  in  Utah  have  no  more  lib- 
erties or  privileges  granted  to  them  by 
the  civil  power  than  any  other  denomi- 
nation who  may  choose  to  settle  there. 
If  they  constitute  the  majority  of  the 
population  they  can  elect  such  indi- 
viduals as  they  see  proper  to  the  legis- 
lative departments ;  this  is  not  oppres- 
sion, but  is  precisely  according  to  the 
practice  of  all  the  other  Territorial 
and  State  governments.  The  majority 
rules — the  majority  elects :  this  is  the 
very  essence  of  our  national  institu- 
tions. Utah  is  not  an  exception :  she 
is  governed,  in  all  respects,  by  the  civil 
power,  and  not  by  the  ecclesiastical : 
the  latter  is  confined  wholly  to  the 
churches  of  the  different  religious  so- 
cieties who  have  or  may  settle  in  the 
Territory,  while  the  former  regulates 
all  by  the  civil  laws.  The  Latter-Day 
Saints  in  the  capacity  of  a  church 
have  no  more  voice  in  the  government 
of  Utah,  than  the  Methodists  or  any 
other  religious  denomination.     They, 


as  well  as  all  other  societies,  are  obliged 
to  submit  to  the  civil  powers. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  legislative 
department  in  Utah  will  never  be  so 
trammelled  by  the  customs  of  the 
other  territories  as  to  infringe  upon  the 
rights  of  the  domestic  relations,  limit- 
ing and  abridging  them  according  to 
the  erroneous  superstitions  handed 
down  to  our  day  by  the  nations  of 
Apostate  Christendom.  It  is  further  to 
be  hoped,  that  they  will  carefully  ex- 
amine the  nature  of  all  customs  and 
practices  which  have  been  denounced 
criminal,  and  wisely  and  impartially 
distinguish  between  what  is  in  re- 
ality criminal,  and  what  is,  because  of 
custom,  erroneously  called  so.  Such 
are  the  kind  of  legislators  that  ought 
to  be  sought  for  in  every  State  and 
Territory. 

We  have,  in  the  foregoing,  answered 
all  the  objections  against  plurality, 
based  on  the  supposition  of  its  being 
criminal ;  and  have  clearly  shown  that 
they  are  without  foundation.  We 
shall  next  proceed  to  show  that  plu- 
rality of  wives  is  among  the  greatest 
blessings  bestowed  upon  the  righteous. 
It  is  evidently  a  great  blessing  to  be 
entrusted  with  power  and  authority  to 
rule  and  govern,  according  to  the  law 
of  righteousness.  God  is  the  supreme 
Ruler  of  the  universe.  He  rules  all 
beings  and  things  by  laws,  through 
which  His  wisdom  and  power  are  made 
manifest.  He  exercises  supreme  power 
and  authority,  because  He  has  supreme 
wisdom  and  knowledge.  It  is  His 
glory  and  happiness  to  govern  all  things. 
If  He  were  deprived  of  the  privilege  of 
governing,  He  would  be  deprived  of 
his  glory.  So  it  is  with  all  His  off- 
spring: they  are  happy  and  glorious 
in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  divine 
authority  and  power  with  which  they 
are  intrusted,  providing  that  they  ex- 
ercise the  same  in  righteousness. 


{To  be  continued.) 


CONTENTS. 

The  Pre-existence  of  Man 113 

Celestial  Marriage 122 


WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.  C. 

Edited  and  Published  bt  Onso*  Pratt, 

at  $1  per  annum,  invariably  in  advance. 


5 


TMM 


111  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  He 
lifteth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains.— Isaiah  win,  3. 


Vol.  I. 


SEPTEMBER,  1853. 


No.  9. 


THE  PRE-EXISTENCE  OF  MAN. 


(Concluded.) 


103.  An  infinite  quantity  of  self- 
moving  intelligent  matter,  possessed  of 
infinite  capacities,  and  existing  eter- 
nally, must  have  been  engaged  in  an 
endless  series  of  operations.  It  matters 
not  how  far  we  may,  in  the  imagina- 
tion of  our  minds,  go  back  into  the  in- 
finite depths  of  past  duration,  we  are 
still  obliged  to  admit,  that  every  par- 
ticle of  matter  which  now  exists,  existed 
then  ;  that  it  was  then  capable  of  self- 
motion  ;  that  it  was  then  capable  of 
exercising  the  eternal  capacities  of  its 
nature,  and  of  progressing  onward  and 
upward,  until  it  should  be  perfected  in 
all  the  fulness  of  wisdom,  knowledge, 
and  truth.  An  endless  series  of  ope- 
rations excludes  a  first  operation.  If 
it  be  assumed  that  there  was  a  period 
when  matter  first  began  to  act,  then 
the  succession  of  acts  would  be  finite 
and  not  endless,  and  there  would  have 
been  an  endless  duration,  preceding 
that  first  act,  during  which,  all  things 
would  have  been  in  a  quiescent  state, 
or  state  of  absolute  rest.  To  suppose 
that  all  the  spiritual  matter  of  the  uni- 
verse, which  is  now  so  powerful  and 
active,  has  once  been  eternally  at  rest, 
would  seem  to  be  absurd  in  the  high- 
est degree.  Every  thing  now  is  in 
motion  ;  every  thing  is  highly  active : 
every  thing  is  acting  under  some  law, 
or  guided  by  some  motive  or  will. 
Such  a  thing  as  an  inactive  particle  of 


matter  is  not  known  in  the  universe. 
If  all  substance  once  existed  eternally 
without  action,  what  prompted  it  to 
make  the  first  effort  ?  How  came  the 
first  particle  to  move  itself?  Why, 
after  an  endless  past  duration,  should 
it  all  at  once,  conclude  to  move  ?  Why 
should  intelligent  thinking  materials, 
capable  of  self-motion,  have  existed 
from  all  eternity  without  exercising  their 
capacities  ?  No  one,  therefore,  upon 
candid  reflection,  can  suppose,  for  one 
moment,  that  there  was  a  beginning 
to  the  operations  or  actions  of  sub- 
stance. There  could  not  have  been  a 
first  act  or  first  operation.  The  suc- 
cession of  acts  and  operations  must 
have  been  endless. 

104.  Having  shown  in  the  preced- 
ing paragraph,  that  there  must  have 
been  an  endless  series  of  operations 
among  the  self-moving  intelligent  ma- 
terials of  nature,  let  us  next  inquire 
into  the  nature  of  these  operations. 
These  operations  may  have  been  ex- 
tremely simple,  or  they  may  have  been 
abstruse  and  intricate  in  their  nature : 
they  may  have  been  the  effect  of  each 
individual  particle,  acting  at  random 
under  no  particular  system  of  laws,  or 
they  may  have  been  the  results  of  a 
combination  of  large  masses  of  sub- 
stances acting  under  wise  and  judi- 
cious laws  :  they  may  have  acted  in  a 
disorganized    capacity,  or    they  may 


130 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OP    MAN. 


have  acted  in  the  capacity  of  organ- 
ized worlds,  and  personages,  and  beings, 
something  similar  to  what  now  exists. 
Simple  operations  at  random  without 
law,  would  exhibit  but  a  small  degree 
of  intelligence ;  while  operations  such 
as  now  exist,  would  show  something 
that  had  infinite  wisdom,  knowledge, 
and  power ;  in  other  words,  it  would 
prove  the  existence  of  a  God.     If  this 
endless  series  of  operations  has  always 
been  conducted  with  the  same  wisdom 
and  power  which  now  characterize  the 
workings  of  the  universe,  then  there 
must  have  always   been  a  fulness   of 
knowledge  and  truth  exisiting  some- 
where, either  in  organized  or  disorgan- 
ized  substances.      We   cannot   prove 
from  the  present  appearances  of  nature 
that  there  has  always  been    a    God. 
The  present  exhibitions  of  nature  only 
prove  that  there  is  now  a  God,  and 
that  there  has  been  a  God  for  many 
ages  past,  which  is  clearly  proved  by 
His   works,   many  of    which   can   be 
proved  to  be  many  thousand  years  old. 
But  when  we  go  back  to  ages  still 
more  remote  in  antiquity,  nature  does 
not  inform  us  whether   there  was  in 
those  ages  a  God,  having  a  fulness  of 
knowledge,  or  not.     We  have  been  in- 
formed in  preceding  paragraphs,  that 
men,  through  obedience,  attain  to  the 
fulness  of  all  knowledge  and  become 
Gods.      Now  there  is  a  time   before 
each  man  obtains  this  fulness  which 
constitutes  him  a  God.    Personal  Gods, 
then,  have    a  beginning:    they  exist 
first  as  spirits,  then  as  men  clothed  with 
mortal  flesh,  then  as  Gods  clothed  with 
immortal  tabernacles.     If  one  God  can 
have  a  beginning,  the  question  arises, 
May  not  all  other  Gods  have  had  a 
beginning?      The  operations  and   ap- 
pearances of  the  universe  only   teach 
us  that  there  has  been  a  God  for  a  few 
ages  past;    and  if  we  had  no  other 
light,  the  question  would  very  naturally 
occur,  was  there  not  a  first  God  ?  And 
if  so,  at  what  period  of  time  did  he 
attain  to  a  fulness   of  truth  and  be- 
come God  ?     What  was  the  condition 
of  the  universe  before  any  of  the  sub- 
stances of  nature  attained  this  fulness? 
In  the  absence  of  revelation  in  regard 
to  the  past  eternity  of  God,  such  ques- 


tions as  the  foregoing  would  unavoida- 
bly arise  in  the  mind. 

105.  If  there  ever  were  a  period 
when  none  of  the  substances  of  nature, 
posessed  a  fulness  of  truth,  then  previ- 
ously to  that  period  the  universe  would 
have  been  governed  by  laws  inferior  to 
those  which  now  obtain.  But  it  seems 
altogether  unlikely  that  among  an  in- 
finite quantity  of  materials,  possessing 
infinite  capacities,  there  should  be  none 
which  had  perfected  themselves  in 
knowledge  and  truth,  though  they  had 
had  an  endless  duration  in  which  to 
have  accomplished  it.  It  seems  far 
more  consistant  to  believe  that  infinite 
knowledge  has  from  all  eternity  exist- 
ed somewhere,  either  in  organized  per- 
sonages or  in  disorganized  materials. 

106.  We  shall  now  prove  by  reve- 
lation given  through  Joseph,  the  Seer, 
that  there  has  been  a  God  from  all 
eternity  ;  or  in  other  wrords,  that  there 
is  a  God  who  never  had  a  beginning. 
One  revelation  commences  thus : 
"Hearken  a,nd  listen  to  the  voice  of 
Him  who  is  from  all  Eternity  to  all 
eternity,  the  Great  I  AM,  even  Jesus 
Christ,  the  light  and  the  life  of  the 
world."  (Doc.  and  Gov.  Sec.  59:  Par.l.) 
Here  then  is  positive  proof  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  from  all  Eternity.  We  are 
aware  that  there  are  some  who  con- 
sider that  the  words  "  all  Eternity " 
have  reference  to  a  definite  limited 
period  of  time.  Such  suppose  that 
there  have  been  many  eternities  suc- 
ceeding each  other :  if  this  supposi- 
tion be  correct,  then  the  period  express- 
ed by  the  words  ufrom  all  Eternity  " 
could  not  have  been  without  begin- 
ning. But  it  is  evident  to  our  mind 
that  the  words  were  intended  to  con- 
vey the  idea  of  an  endless  past  dura- 
tion ;  or  in  other  words,  a  duration 
that  had  no  beginning,  when  speaking 
in  reference  to  the  light  and  truth  that 
dwelt  in  Him.  That  this  is  the  true 
idea  intended  to  be  conveyed,  is  evident 
from  other  declarations  of  Christ ;  one 
of  which  reads  as  follows  :  "  Listen  to 
the  voice  of  Jesus  Christ,  your  Re- 
deemer, the  Great  I  AM,  whose  arm 
of  mercy  hath  atoned  for  your  sins." 
Among  the  things  revealed  in  this 
revelation,  Jesus  says,  "  Unto  myself 


THE    TRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


131 


my  works  have  no  end,  NEITHER 
BE<  I  INNING."  (Doc.  and  Cor.,  Sec. 
10  :  Par.  1  and  8.)  No  language  could 
more  plainly  prove  that  Jesus  Christ 
had  no  beginning.  His" works  have 
no  end,  neither  beginning."  There 
never  was  a  period  when  Christ  began 
llis  works :  there  never  was  a  first  work 
that  He  performed.  A  series  that  lias 
no  beginning  can  have  no  first  term. 
A  past  succession  of  works  that  is  end- 
less necessarily  excludes  a  first  work. 
As  there  cotdd  not  be  a  first  act,  it 
shows  most  clearly  that  Jesus  Christ 
must  have  existed  during  an  endless 
succession  of  ages,  and  that  there 
could  not  be  a  first  age  of  His  exist- 
ence. This  past  endless  existence  of 
Christ  has  reference  to  the  fulness  of 
Truth,  and  Light,  and  Knowledge 
which  now  dwell  in  His  person. 
These  attributes  are  personified  and 
called  God :  these  had  no  begin- 
ning, while  His  person  did  have  a 
beginning  in  its  organized  capacity, 
being  the  "First  Born  .of  every  crea- 
ture." The  attributes  of  Jesus  Christ, 
or  in  other  words,  the  fulness  of  Truth, 
existed  for  endless  ages  before  His 
person  was  formed.  Before  the  spirit- 
ual body  or  personage  of  Christ  was 
born  in  the  heavenly  world,  there 
were  innumerable  worlds  in  existence, 
each  peopled  with  myriads  of  person- 
ages, and  each  were  filled  with  all  the 
fulness  of  Jesus  Christ,  or  the  fulness 
of  Truth,  which  is  called  by  various 
names,  such  as,  God,  the  Great  I  AM, 
the  Father,  the  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  <fcc. 
All  these  names,  as  well  as  the  per- 
sonal pronouns  He,  His,  and  Him,  are 
applied  to  the  FULNESS  OF  TRUTH, 
wherever  it  or  He  may  dwell,  whether 
in  one  tabernacle  or  in  unnumbered 
millions.  This  Great  God — the  FUL- 
NESS OF  TRUTH,  can  dwell  in  all 
worlds  at  the  same  instant — can  be 
everywhere  present — can  be  in  all 
things,  and  round  about  all  things,  and 
through  all  things.  He  is  in  the  per- 
sonage of  the  Father ;  He  is  in  the 
personage  of  the  Son ;  He  will  be  in 
the  personages  of  all  His  Saints  when 
they  receive  of  His  fulness ;  and  in 
fine,  He  is  the  only  living  and  true 
God,  and  besides  Him  there  is  no  God  :  j 


He  is  the  only  God  worshipped  by  the 
righteous  of  all  worlds ;  for  He  exists 
in  all  worlds,  and  dwells  in  all  his  ful- 
ness in  countless  millions  of  tabernacles. 
He  has  no  beginning,  neither  have  His 
works  a  beginning,  but  each  of  His 
organized  tabernacles  had  a  beginning: 
each  personal  spirit  was  organized  out 
of  the  elements  of  spiritual  matter. 

107.  Having  proved  that  Jesus 
Christ,  or  the  Fulness  of  Truth,  had  no 
beginning,  let  us  next  inquire,  AYhether 
there  always  have  been  personages  in 
which  this  fulness  dwelt  I  or  whether 
it  or  He  dwelt  in  the  unorganized  par- 
ticles of  substance  prior  to  there  being 
any  personages  formed  ?  These  are 
rather  difficult  questions  to  answer.  It 
is  quite  probable,  that  it  has  been  from 
all  eternity  about  the  same  as  at  pre- 
sent ;  that  there  has  been  an  endless 
succession  of  substances,  both  organ- 
ized and  unorganized,  which  have  been 
exalted  and  glorified,  and  have  received 
a  fulness.  It  is  altogether  likely, 
that  there  has  been  an  endless  succes- 
sion of  worlds,  and  an  endless  succes- 
sion of  inhabitants  who  have  peopled 
those  worlds.  If  so,  then  there  could 
not  be  a  first  world,  nor  a  first  person. 
Though  each  world,  and  each  person 
would  have  a  beginning,  yet  there  would 
be  no  beginning  to  the  grand  chain  of 
succession  or  genealogy.  This  may  be 
exemplified,  by  conceiving  the  existence 
of  endless  straight  lines  in  boundless 
space  :  conceive  each  of  these  lines  to 
be  divided  or  graduated  into  an  end- 
less number  of  yards.  All  can  at  once 
see,  that  there  would  be  a  beginning 
to  each  of  these  yards,  but  there  would 
be  no  beginning  to  the  endless  succes- 
sion. So,  likewise,  of  endless  dura- 
tion ;  we  can  conceive  of  its  being 
divided  into  an  endless  succession 
of  minutes;  each  of  these  minutes 
would  have  a  beginning,  but  there 
would  be  no  beginning  to  the  succes- 
sion. We  have  already  learned  from 
revelation  that  the  works  of  Jesus  Christ 
had  no  beginning.  Now  let  us  suppose 
that  each  successive  work  was  the  or- 
ganization of  a  world  and  the  peopling 
of  the  same.  All  will  at  once  admit 
that  each  world  and  the  inhabitants 
thereof  would  have  a  beginning ;  but 


132 


THE    TRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


His  works,  being  without  a  beginning, 
there  could  not  be  a  first  world  in  this 
endless  succession,  nor  a  first  Father  in 
the  endless  genealogy. 

108.  Looking  at  things  through  our 
imperfect  minds,  we  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  suppose  that  all  things  which 
are  connected  by  a  chain  of  causes  and 
effects,  must  eventually  terminate  in  a 
First  Cause  and  in  a  First  Effect :  for 
instance,  in  tracing  genealogies,  we  go 
back  from  the  son  to  the  father,  then 
to  the  grandfather,  then  to  the  great 
grandfather,  and  thus  we  trace  the 
lineage  back  from  generation  to  gener- 
ation until  we  naturally  look  for  a  first 
father  pertaining  to  the  human  race  on 
this  creation,  so,  likewise,  when  we  trace 
the  genealogy  of  our  spirits.  We  were 
begotten  by  our  Father  in  Heaven ; 
the  person  of  our  Father  in  Heaven  was 
begotten  on  a  previous  heavenly  world 
by  His  Father ;  and  again,  He  was  be- 
gotten by  a  still  more  ancient  Father ; 
and  so  on,  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion, from  one  heavenly  world  to  an- 
other still  more  ancient,  until  our  minds 
are  wearied  and  lost  in  the  multiplicity 
of  generations  and  successive  worlds, 
and  as  a  last  resort,  we  wonder  in  our 
minds,  how  far  back  the  genealogy  ex- 
tends, and  how  the  first  world  was 
formed,  and  the  first  father  was  begot- 
ten. But  why  does  man  seek  for  a 
first,  when  revelation  informs  him  that 
God's  works  are  without  beginning? 
Do  you  still  seek  for  a  first  link  where 
the  chain  is  endless  ?  Can  you  con- 
ceive of  a  first  year  in  endless  duration  ? 
Can  you  grasp  within  your  comprehen- 
sion the  first  mile  in  an  endless  right 
line  ?  All  these  things  you  will  readily 
acknowledge  have  no  first :  why,  then, 
do  you  seek  for  a  first  personal  Father 
in  an  endless  genealogy?  or  for  a,  first 
effect  in  an  endless  succession  of  effects  ? 

109.  The  Fulness  of  Truth,  dwelling 
in  an  endless  succession  of  past  genera- 
tions, would  produce  an  endless  succes- 
sion of  personal  Gods,  each  possessing 
epual  wisdom,  power,  and  glory  with 
all  the  rest.  In  worshipping  any  one 
of  these  Gods  we  worship  the  whole, 
and  in  worshipping  the  whole,  we  still 
worship  but  one  God;  for  it  is  the 
same  God  who  dwells  in  them  all ;  the 


personages  are  only  His  different  dwell- 
ing places.  After  the  resurrection, 
when  the  Fulness  of  Truth  or  God 
dwells  in  us,  it  can  then  be  said  of  us, 
as  is  now  said  of  Christ,  that  we  are 
"  from  all  eternity  to  all  eternity ;"  it 
can  then  be  said  of  us,  that  our  "  works 
have  no  end,  neither  beginning;"  it 
can  then  be  said  of  us,  that  we  are  "  in 
all  things,  and  through  all  things,  and 
round  about  all  things ;"  it  can  then 
be  said  of  us,  that  the  number  of  worlds 
which  we  have  created  are  more  numer- 
ous than  the  particles  of  dust  in  a  mil- 
lion of  earths  like  this ;  yea,  that  this 
would  not  be  a  beginning  to  the  num- 
ber of  our  creations ;  it  can  be  said  of 
us,  that  we  are  there  in  all  these  in- 
finity of  worlds,  and  that  our  bosom  is 
there.  How,  inquires  the  astonished 
Saints,  can  all  these  things  be  ?  How 
can  we  be  from  all  eternity  ?  How 
can  we  be  omnipresent  ?  How  can  our 
works  be  without  beginning  ?  We  re- 
ply, that  this  will  be  true  in  regard  to 
the  fulness  of  God  that  dwells  within 
us,  but  not  true  in  regard  to  our  per- 
sons ;  neither  is  it  true  in  regard  to 
any  other  persons.  God  is  the  light 
and  the  life  of  all  things.  Our  life  and 
our  light  are  now  only  a  part  of  God, 
but  then,  in  that  glorious  day,  they 
will  be  the  whole  of  God,  animating, 
and  quickening,  and  glorifying  a  new 
tabernacle.  Then  wre  can  say  one  to 
another,  I  am  in  you  and  you  are  in 
me,  and  we  all  are  one,  even  one  God, 
"from  everlasting  to  everlasting."  The 
Light  and  Intelligence  and  Truth  which 
each  Saint  will  then  possess  in  fulness, 
was  not  created,  neither,  indeed,  can  be, 
but  they  were  from  all  eternity;  and  they 
assisted  in  the  formation  of  all  worlds, 
and  are  present  in  all  worlds,  govern- 
ing and  controlling  the  same.  Do  we 
realize  that  our  very  life  and  being  is 
constituted  and  composed  of  eternal 
principles?  that  the  beings  which  we 
call  ourselves  are  only  parts  of  one 
eternal  whole?  that  the  attributes  of 
our  nature  are  God's  attributes  in  em- 
bryo, placed  in  new  tabernacles  where 
they  are  required  to  improve  and  per- 
fect themselves  by  cleaving  unto  the 
great  fountain  of  which  they  are  a 
part  ?     Every    additional    portion    of 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


133 


light  which  they  receive  is  an  addi- 
tional portion  of  God ;  when  they  are 
filled  with  light,  they  are  filled  with 
God — that  is,  God  is  in  them  in  all  of 
His  fulness,  and  wherever  God  is,  there 
is  Almighty  power,  and  Infinite  wisdom 
and  knowledge,  and  all  things  are  sub- 
ject unto  Him,  and  He  possesses  all 
things,  and  all  dominions  and  worlds 
are  His,  for  He  made  them  all.  It  is 
for  this  reason  that  each  of  the  Saints 
will  inherit  all  tilings,  and  be  equal 
not  only  in  power  and  glory,  but  also 
in  dominion.  All  things  present,  and 
all  things  to  come,  will  be  theirs.  All 
things  present,  include  all  the  infinity 
of  worlds  which  have  been  created,  re- 
deemed, and  glorified  from  all  eternity: 
all  things  to  come  include  all  the  worlds 
which  will  be  created,  redeemed,  and 
glorified  to  all  eternity.  Each  one  of 
the  Saints  who  receive  a  fulness  of  God 
will  be  joint  heirs  with  all  the  rest  in 
this  great  common  stock  inheritance : 
each  one  possessing  the  whole.  Con- 
sequently, they  will  be  equal  in  domin- 
ion as  well  as  equal  in  knowledge, 
power,  and  glory.  This  is  so  fully  re- 
vealed in  revelations,  both  ancient  and 
modern,  that  we  deem  it  unnecessary 
to  multiply  quotations.  Indeed,  Why 
should  not  the  same  God  in  one  taber- 
nacle inherit  just  as  much  as  He  does 
in  every  other  tabernacle  ?  If  men  are 
tabernacles,  and  God  is  the  Being  who 
dwells  within  them,  then  this  One  God 
in  each  tabernacle  must  of  necessity- 
possess  all  things ;  for  He  made  them 
all. 

110.  How  very  different  in  their 
nature  is  light  and  truth  from  substance. 
A  substance  can  only  be  in  one  place 
at  a  time  :  while  intelligence  or  truth 
can  be  in  all  worlds  at  the  same  instant. 
A  substance  cannot  be  divided,  and  a 
part  be  taken  to  some  other  place,  with- 
out diminishing  the  original  quantity 
from  which  it  was  taken :  while  differ- 
ent portions  of  light  and  truth  may  be 
imparted  to  other  beings  in  other  places 
without  diminishing  in  the  least  the 
fountain  from  which  they  are  derived. 
Substances,  organized  into  different 
persons  on  separate  worlds,  become  a 
plurality  of  substances  or  persons : 
while  a  truth  may  be  imparted  to  each 


one  of  th'se  personages,  and  still  it  is 
but  one  truth — a  unity  and  not  a  plu- 
rality of  truths.  However  great  the 
number  of  truths  which  may  be  im- 
parted equally  to  an  infinite  number  of 
personages,  still  the  truths  are  not  in- 
creased in  number  by  their  increased 
number  of  dwelling  places.  In  all  these 
characteristics  truth  and  substance 
widely  differ  from  each  other.  As  God 
is  Light  and  Truth,  and  Light  and 
Truth  is  God,  all  the  characteristics 
which  belong  to  one,  belong  to  the 
other  also.  An  infinite  number  of 
tabernacles  filled  with  Truth,  contains 
no  more  than  one  filled  with  the  same : 
so  likewise  an  infinite  number  of  tab- 
ernacles filled  with  God  knows  no 
more  than  one  knows.  Truth  is  one 
Truth  though  dwelling  in  millions,  so 
likewise  God  is  one  God  though  dwell- 
ing in  countless  numbers  of  tabernacles. 
This  is  the  reason  why  we  are  so  re- 
peatedly told  in  both  ancient  and 
modern  revelation,  that  there  is  but 
one  God.  And  whenever  a  plurality 
of  Gods  is  mentioned  we  may  always 
know  that  the  expression  has  reference 
only  to  the  number  of  tabernacles 
where  this  one  only  true  and  living 
God  dwells. 

111.  We  have  dwelt  upon  this  sub- 
ject rather  longer  than  what  we,  at 
first,  intended,  because  we  consider  it  a 
principle  which  should  be  well  under- 
stood by  the  Saints,  not  only  for  our 
own  benefit,  but  that  we  may  be  able 
to  teach  others  correctly;  that  when 
we  are  asked  for  a  reason,  why  we  be- 
lieve in  a  plurality  of  Gods,  we  may  be 
able  to  set  forth  our  views  clearly  and 
plainly  in  accordance  with  the  revela- 
tions which  God  has  given  of  Himself. 
It  is  for  this  purpose  that  we  have 
dwelt  so  long  upon  the  pre-existence  of 
man  in  order  that  we  may  the  more 
clearly  understand,  not  only  our  heaven- 
ly and  God-like  origen,  but  the  grand 
system  of  laws  by  which  God  origi- 
nates and  prepares  tabernacles  for  His 
own  residence  in  which  the  fulness  of 
His  wisdom,  power,  and  glory,  are 
manifested.  O  how  great,  and  how 
marvelous  are  the  ways  of  God,  and 
His  plans  which  He  has  adopted  for 
the  salvation  and  glorification  of  His 


134 


THE    PRE-EXISTENCE    OF    MAN. 


intelligent  offspring !  Who  can  un- 
derstand these  things  without  rejoic- 
ing by  day  and  by  night !  And  who 
can  understand  the  works  of  our  God 
and  the  mysteries  of  His  kingdom,  un- 
less he  is  enlightened  by  the  light  of 
the  Holy  Spirit !  Well  did  the  apos- 
tle Paul  say,  "  the  natural  man  know- 
eth  not  the  things  of  God,  because 
they  are  spiritually  discerned ;"  "  but 
God  hath  revealed  them  unto  us  by 
His  spirit ;  for  the  Spirit  searcheth  all 
things,  yea,  even  the  deep  things  of 
God."  Well  did  our  Saviour  say,  that 
the  Spirit  of  Truth  should  guide  his 
disciples  into  all  Truth — should  take  of 
the  things  of  the  Father  and  should 
show  them  unto  his  people — should 
show  them  things  to  come,  and  thus 
make  them   revelators   and  prophets. 

0  that  mankind  would  consider  upon 
these  things !  0  that  they  would 
come  unto  God  like  men  in  days 
of  old,  and  learn  of  Him  now,  as  they 
did  then !  O  that  they  would  reflect 
upon  their  heavenly  origen,  and  what 
may  be  their  future  destiny,  if  they 
would  only  claim,  through  obedience 
and  faith,  the  high  privileges  set  before 
them  !  O  that  they  knew  what  be- 
longs to  their  peace  and  welfare  both 
here  and  hereafter !  but  they  know 
not — they  are  like  the  beast  that 
perisheth,  for  whom  slaughter  is  pre- 
pared, and  he  knoweth  it  not :  even  so, 
it  is  with  this  generation  ;  they  know 
nothing  only  what  they  know  natu- 
rally ;  they  have  denied  the  necessity 
of  present  revelation,  therefore,  all 
spiritual  light  and  heavenly  knowledge 
are  withheld  from  them,  and  they  will 
bring  swift  destruction  upon  them- 
selves and  perish  in  their  sins,  and  this 
causes  my  heart  to  be  sorrowful ;  and 

1  mourn  over  the  hardness  of  their 
hearts  and  the  blindness  of  their  minds 
by  day  and  by  night ;  and  I  labor  and 
toil,  and  also  my  brethren,  to  recover 
them,  but  their  hearts  are  fully  set 
within  them  to  do  evil,  and  they  must 
soon  be  ripened  for  the  destructions 
decreed  upon  the  nations  in  the  latter 
days. 

112.  We  have  in  this  article  on  pre- 
existence  traced  man  back  to  his  ori- 
gen in  the  heavenly  world  as  an  infant 


spirit ;  we  have  shown  that  this  spirit 
was  begotten  and  born  by  celestial  pa- 
rents long  anterior  to  the  formation  of 
this  creation.  We  have  shown  that  the 
great  family  of  spirits  had  a  probation 
and  trial  before  they  came  here — that 
a  third  part  of  them  fell  and  were  cast 
out  of  Heaven  and  were  deprived  of- 
fleshly  bodies;  while  the  remainder 
have  come  forth  in  their  successive 
generations  to  people  this  globe :  we 
have  shown  that,  by  keeping  this  their 
second  estate,  they  will  be  perfected, 
glorified,  and  made  Gods  like  unto  their 
Father  God  by  whom  their  spirits  were 
begotten.  The  dealing  of  God  to- 
wards his  children  from  the  time  that 
they  are  first  born  in  Heaven,  through 
all  their  successive  stages  of  existence, 
until  they  are  redeemed,  perfected,  and 
made  Gods,  is  a  pattern  after  which  all 
other  worlds  are  dealt  with.  All  Gods 
act  upon  the  same  great  general  prin- 
ciples ;  and  thus,  the  course  of  each  God 
is  one  eternal  round.  There  will,  of 
course,  be  a  variety  in  all  His  works,  but 
there  will  be  no  great  deviations  from 
the  genera]  laws  which  He  has  ordained. 
The  creation,  fall,  and  redemption  of 
all  future  worlds  with  their  inhabitants 
will  be  conducted  upon  the  same  gen- 
eral plan ;  so  that  when  one  is  learned, 
the  great  fundamental  principles  of  the 
science  of  world-making,  world-govern- 
ing, and  world-redemption,  will  be  un- 
derstood. 

113.  The  Father  of  our  spirits  has 
only  been  doing  that  which  His  Pro- 
genitors did  before  Him.  Each  suc- 
ceeding generation  of  Gods  follow  the 
example  of  the  preceding  ones:  each 
generation  have  their  wives,  who  raise 
up  from  the  fruit  of  their  loins  immortal 
spirits :  when  their  families  become  nu- 
merous, they  organize  new  worlds  for 
them,  after  the  former  patterns  set  be- 
fore them ;  they  place  their  families 
upon  the  same  who  fall  as  the  inhabi- 
tants of  previous  worlds  have  fallen ; 
they  are  redeemed  after  the  pattern  by 
which  more  ancient  worlds  have  been 
redeemed.  The  inhabitants  of  each 
world  have  their  own  personal  Father 
whose  attributes  they  Avorship,  and  in 
so  doing  all  worlds  worship  the  same 
one  God,  dwelling  in  all  of  His  fulness 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


135 


in  the  personages  who  are  the  Fathers 
of  each.  Thus  will  worlds  and  systems 
of  worlds,  and  gorgeous  universes,  be 
multiplied  in  endless  succession  through 
the  infinite  depths  of  boundless  space  ; 
some  telestial,  some  terrestrial,  and 
some  Celestial,  differing  in  their  glory, 
as  the  apparent  splendor  of  the  shining 
luminaries  of  Heaven  differ.     All  these 


will  swarm  with  an  infinite  number  of 
living,  moving,  animated  beings  from 
the  minutest  animalcules  that  sport  by 
millions  in  a  single  drop  of  water,  up 
through  every  grade  of  existence  to 
those  Almighty,  All  wise,  and  Most  Glo- 
rious Personages  who  exist  in  countless 
numbers,  governing  and  controlling  all 
things.  EDITOR. 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE 

(Continued.) 


God  generally  entrusts  his  servants  ■ 
first   with  wives,  and  then  with  chil- 
dren, to  see  what  kind  of  government 
they  will  exercise;   if  they  are  found 
faithful  over  those  which  are  given  to  j 
them,  lie  generally  grants  thein  more, 
in  order  that  their  posterity  may  be- 
come numerous,  and  that  the  dominions  , 
of  their  government  may  be  extended,  j 

A  man  is  better  qualified  to  govern 
his  own  offspring  than  the  offspring  of. 
others;    for  he  will  be  influenced  to 
govern  for  their  good  through  the  par- 
ental  ties  of   affection    which    fathers, 
naturally  entertain  for  their  children. 
The  family  or  patriarchal  government, ' 
therefore,  was  wisely  instituted  of  God. . 
He  is  the  Author  of  parental  affection : 
He  incorporated  the  principle  in  the 
bosom  of  man  for  the  good  of  the  off- . 
spring.    The  principle  of  parental  gov- 
ernment, notwithstanding  the  natural . 
affections,  needs  to  be  under  the  direc-  j 
tion  and  control  of  the  law  of  God,  and 
the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     As 
God  is  glorified  by  the  accession  of, 
numbers  into  His  family,  so  are  His 
servants  glorified  by  additions  to  their  j 
families.     God,   therefore,   has   wisely , 
ordained  the  plurality  of  wives,  that 
the  families   of  His   faithful  servants 
may  be   increased  even   as  His  own 
government  and  kingdoms  are  increas- 1 
ed.     That  which  will  enlarge  the  do- 
minions of  the  Almighty  will  glorify  i 
Him ;  and  the  same  things  that  will 
glorify    God    will    glorify    man.      In , 
Isaiah,  it  is  said  of  Christ,  that  "  of  the  j 
increase  of  His  government  there  shall 


be  no  end ;"  and  tliat,  as  the  "  Prince 
of  Peace,"  He  should  sit  "upon  the 
throne  of  David,  and  upon  his  king- 
dom, to  order  it,  and  to  establish  it 
with  judgment  and  with  justice  from 
henceforth  even  forever."  (Isa.  9  :  7.) 
As  there  will  be  no  end  to  the  increase 
of  the  numbers  who  will  come  under 
the  government  and  dominion  of  Christ, 
so  there  will  be  no  end  to  the  increase 
of  the  governments,  and  dominions, 
and  kingdoms  of  His  servants ;  for  they 
will  be  made  like  Christ,  and  be  one 
with  Him,  even  as  He  and  the  Father 
are  one.  The  prophet  Isaiah,  when  he 
saw  that  Christ  should  be  "  cut  off  out 
of  the  land  of  the  living,"  asks  the 
question,  "  Who  shall  declare  His  r/en- 
e ration?''''  He  then  immediately  in- 
forms us  that  Christ,  himself,  should 
be  comforted,  in  His  dying  moments, 
by  having  a  knowledge  of  his  genera- 
tion unfolded  to  his  vision.  "  When 
thou,  shalt  make  His  soul  an  offering 
for  sin,  He  shall  see  His  seed."  (Isa. 
53.)  Many  have  supposed  that  the 
seed  of  Christ  or  His  generation,  has 
reference  to  those  who  are  born  into 
His  kingdom,  exclusively.  But  we 
must  recollect  that  the  inhabitants  des- 
tined for  this  earth  are  limited  in  num- 
bers ;  and  that,  however  numerous  they 
may  be,  who  become,  on  this  earth,  His 
adopted  sons,  yet  there  will  evidently 
be  an  end,  or  a  time  when  no  more  of 
mankind  will  receive  the  law  of  adop- 
tion ;  but  the  increase  of  Christ's  gov- 
ernment is  to  be  without  end,  therefore, 
there  must  be  a  continual  increase  of 


136 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


His  "seed"  or  " generation'1''  throughout 
eternal  ages :  this  is  what  comforted 
Him  in  the  hour  of  His  greatest  suffer- 
ings. Now  unless  the  seed  and  gener- 
ation of  His  servants  are  also  eternally 
increased,  they  will  not  he  like  Him ; 
their  dominions  and  their  governments 
would  come  to  a  dead  stand ;  while 
His  was  increasing;  theirs  would  he 
stationary ;  while  He  was  peopling 
worlds  upon  worlds  with  His  genera- 
tions, and  adding  kingdoms  ujion  king- 
doms, His  younger  brethren  would,  ac- 
cording to  Gentile  notions,  sit  down 
upon  thrones  with  only  a  family  of 
about  half  a  dozen  or  a  dozen,  without 
any  possibility  of  increasing  their  seed 
or  generations,  like  their  elder  Brother. 
That  generations  will  continue  after 
this  earth  passes  away,  is  very  evi- 
dent from  many  portions  of  scripture. 
Moses  says,  "  Know  therefore  that  the 
Lord  thy  God,  He  is  God,  the  faithful 
God,  which  keepeth  covenant  and 
mercy  with  them  that  love  Him  and 
keep  His  commandments  to  a  THOU- 
SAND GENERATIONS."  (Deut.  1 : 
9.)  At  the  very  least  estimate,  we 
cannot  call  a  generation  less  than  20 
years ;  and  even  at  this  low  estimate  a 
thousand  generations  would  be  twenty 
thousand  years.  Now  the  temporal 
existence  of  the  earth  and  mortal  man 
will  not  continue  over  seven  or  eight 
thousand  years,  after  which  the  New 
Earth  will  be  made,  inhabited  by  im- 
mortal beings,  on  which  there  will  be 
no  more  death.  It  will  be,  therefore, 
some  twelve  or  thirteen  thousand  years 
after  the  earth  passes  away  before  there 
could  be  "a  thousand  generations;" 
and  yet  the  prophet  Moses  informs  us 
that  God  will  keep  His  covenants  with 
those  who  keep  his  commandments 
even  "to  a  thousand  generations." 
The  generations  from  Christ  back  to 
Adam  were,  according  the  first  chap- 
ter of  Matthew,  connected  with  the 
Old  Testament,  only  sixty-one  in  num- 
ber ;  while  the  third  of  Luke  estimates 
the  number  to  be  seventy-five.  If 
there  should  be  seventy-five  genera- 
tions after  Christ,  before  the  end  of 
the  earth,  it  would  make  only  one 
hundred  and  fifty  generations  in  all : 
this  subtracted  from  a  thousand  would  I 


leave  eight  hundred  and  fifty  genera- 
tions for  the  New  Earth  among  immor- 
tal beings.  If  the  generations  among 
immortal  beings  are  of  the  same  aver- 
age length  as  those  pertaining  to  mor- 
tality, recorded  by  Luke,  then  it  will 
require  upwards  of  forty  thousand 
years  before  the  New  Earth  could  be 
peopled  with  eight  hundred  and  fifty 
generations.  The  very  fact  that  the 
Lord  has  promised  to  keep  His  cove- 
nant for  a  thousand  generations  shows 
most  clearly  that  multiplication  exists 
among  those  who  are  immortal  as  well 
as  those  who  are  mortal.  This  proves 
clearly  the  necessity  of  being  married 
for  eternity  as  well  as  time,  securing 
that  blessing  in  this  life,  that  it  may 
be  enjoyed  in  the  next. 

We  have  shown  in  the  foregoing  that 
God  remembers  His  Covenants  and 
promises  "  to  a  thousand  Generations  " 
which  proves  beyond  all  controversy 
that  generations  will  continue  in  eter- 
nity among  immortal  beings.  Gene- 
rations on  the  New  Earth  will  differ 
from  those  on  our  present  earth  in 
several  respects.  First,  the  offspring 
will  be  spirits,  and  not  flesh  and  bones ; 
secondly,  these  spirits,  though  male 
and  female,  wrill  not  marry  nor  be  given 
in  marriage  while  on  the  New  Earth, 
and  consequently  will  not  multiply ; 
and  lastly,  neither  parents  nor  children 
will  be  subject  to  death.  Upon  this 
earth,  parents  are  considered  the  first 
generation ;  children,  the  second ; 
grand-children,  the  third  ;  great  grand- 
children, the  fourth ;  and  so  on :  but 
upon  the  New  Earth,  generations  can- 
not be  estimated  after  this  manner,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  there  will  be  no 
grand-children  nor  great  grand-children 
only  so  far  as  the  tabernacles  are  con- 
cerned, but  all  will  be  children.  As 
the  immortal  parents  represent  the 
first  generation,  their  immortal  children 
will  represent  the  second;  but  there 
never  can  be  a  third,  nor  fourth,  nor 
any  future  number  of  generations  on 
the  New  Earth. 

Before  the  second  generation  of  the 
children  can  have  the  privilege  of 
raising  up  an  offspring  of  spirits,  called 
the  third  generation,  they  must  have  a 
world  created  for  them ;  receive  bodies 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


137 


of  flesli  and  bones  upon  the  same ;  pass 
through  a  second  estate  similar  to  the 
one  through  which  the  inhabitants  of 
this  earth  are  now  passing;  die  and  be 
redeemed  from  the  grave,  and  their 
world  be  redeemed,  and  glorified,  and 
made  new,  the  same  as  ours  will  be  ; 
and  then,  they  will  commence  multi- 
plying an  offspring  of  spirits :  these 
will  be  the  third  generation,  or  grand- 
children of  those  who  are  redeemed 
and  inhabit  this  earth  in  its  glorified 
state.  There  must  be  a  new  world 
created  for  each  successive  generation, 
so  that  generations  among  immortal 
beings  will  be  reckoned  according  to 
the  genealogy  of  worlds.  Each  suc- 
cessive world  will  be  peopled  by  beings 
of  the  same  order  of  generation. 

All  the  inhabitants,  destined  for  this 
earth,  are,  so  far  as  their  spirits  are 
concerned,  of  the  same  generation ;  all 
being  the  sons  and  daughters  of  one 
Father;  but  so  far  as  their  tabernacles 
are  concerned,  they  are  a  succession  of 
generations.  Generations  among  im- 
mortal beings  are  of  a  higher  order, 
being  the  medium  of  the  organization 
of  spiritual  substance  in  which  exists 
capacities  that  are  infinite  in  their  na- 
ture. This  higher  or  more  perfect  or- 
der of  generation  requires  a  period  of 
vast  duration  for  the  instruction  and 
gradual  developement  of  the  capaci- 
ties of  the  spiritual  offspring;  hence 
the  children  are  permitted  to  reside  on 
the  same  world  with  their  parents  for 
many  millions  of  years,  before  another 
world  is  provided  for  their  inheritance  ; 
and  before  they  are  entrusted  with  the 
great  and  most  sacred  privilege  of  mar- 
riage for  the  infinitely  important  pur- 
pose of  multiplying  their  species.  In- 
deed, it  would  require  several  thousand 
million  of  years,  before  a  father  could 
raise  up  an  offspring  sufficiently  numer- 
ous to  people  one  world  as  large  as 
this.  And  during  this  vast  period  of 
time  he  could  have  no  grand-children ; 
all  being  his  own  sons  and  daughters ; 
all  being  reckoned  in  the  same  genera- 
tion ;  and  all  remaining  with  their  pa- 
rents at  the  old  homestead,  until,  for 
the  want  of  room,  a  new  world  is  ere-  i 
ated  and  the  dominions  enlarged,  and  \ 
the   children   sent    abroad  to  act  for, 


themselves,  and  to  prepare  to  walk  in 
the  footsteps  of  their  father,  by  marry- 
ing and  multiplying  as  he  lias  done  be- 
fore them.  A  thousand  generations, 
therefore,  among  immortal  beings, 
would  embrace  a  period  of  many  mil- 
lions of  millions  of  years. 

The  fact  being  established  that  gen- 
erations will  be  continued  in  eternity, 
we  have  no  reason  to  conjecture  that 
they  will  ever  cease.  If  immortal  be- 
ings can  multiply  at  all,  it  is  perfectly 
reasonable  that  this  same  power  should 
continue  with  them  worlds  without  end. 
Some,  perhaps,  may  object  against  an 
endless  succession  of  worlds  and  gene- 
rations on  the  supposition  that  there 
will  not  be  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
matter  in  existence  for  such  a  pur- 
pose. This  objection  would  be  valid  if 
it  could  be  proved  that  there  was  only 
a  finite  quantity  of  materials ;  for  in 
such  a  case,  the  period  would  eventu- 
ally come  when  the  whole  quantity 
would  be  exhausted,  and  the  increase 
of  worlds  and  of  intelligent  beings 
would  necessarily  cease  :  for  we  cannot, 
for  one  moment,  admit  that  the  mate- 
rials themselves  could  be  created.  In 
a  boundless  space,  there  is  plenty  of 
room  for  an  infinite  quantity  of  mate- 
rials. It  matters  not  how  thinly  the 
elements  may  be  scattered,  though 
there  should  be  millions  of  miles  inter- 
vening between  each  particle,  yet  if 
there  were  no  bounds  to  this  widely 
diffused  substance,  the  quantity  would 
be  endless ;  and  if  endless,  there  could 
be  an  endless  succession  of  worlds  or- 
ganized out  of  it,  without  any  possi- 
bility of  exhausting  it.  Neither  rea- 
son nor  observation  can  determine  the 
quantity  ;  for  as  God  did  not  create 
the  elements,  they  are  necessarily  eter- 
nal, and  therefore  exist  without  a  cause. 
There  is  no  cause  for  the  quantity  that 
exists.  Indeed,  there  is  no  reason  why 
space  contains  any  substance,  what- 
ever: much  less  is  there  any  reason 
why  space  contains  a  large  instead  of 
a  small,  an  infinite  instead  of  a  finite 
quantity. 

That  there  is  an  infinite  quantity  of 
matter  in  space  is  certain  from  the  re- 
vealed fact  that  there  is  to  be  no  end 
to  the  increase  of  the  government  or 


138 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


kingdoms  of  Christ :  in  order  that  the 
increase  may  be  without  end,  the 
quantity  of  materials  out  of  which 
these  kingdoms  are  formed  must  be 
inexhaustable.  No  objection,  therefore, 
can  be  raised  against  the  endless  in- 
crease of  worlds  and  of  living  beings 
for  the  want  of  sufficient  substance. 

The  affection  which  exists  in  the 
bosom  of  parents  towards  their  off- 
spring will  be  far  greater  among  im- 
mortal and  celestial  beings  than  what 
it  is  here  in  this  world ;  consequently 
the}?-  will  watch  over  them  with  the 
most  tender  feelings ;  and  ordain  laws 
and  rules  for  their  government,  adapted 
to  their  capacities  and  wants:  and 
when  they  create  a  new  world  and 
send  their  dear  children  to  receive  up- 
on the  same  bodies  of  flesh  and  bones, 
their  affection  for  them  will  not,  in 
the  least,  be  diminished ;  they  will 
still  be  just  as  anxious  for  their  welfare 
and  happiness  as  when  they  dwelt  im- 
mediately in  their  presence. 

Those  among  their  oftspring  who 
are  sent  to  people  new  worlds,  and 
who  obey  the  law  of  righteousness, 
will  be  more  highly  favored  than  the 
rebellious.  The  righteous  among  them 
will  be  entrusted  with  the  watch-care 
and  protection  of  the  children  of  their 
celestial  or  heavenly  parents.  This  is 
one  great  reason,  why  the  Lord  has 
chosen  the  righteous  in  this  world  to 
raise  up  seed  unto  Him  through  the 
divine  institution  of  marriage.  It 
must  be  evident  to  every  one,  that 
when  God  sends  forth  His  own  chil- 
dren from  Heaven  to  be  born  into  this 
world,  that  it  must  be  more  pleasing 
to  Him  for  them  to  receive  tabernacles 
among  the  righteous  than  among  the 
wicked.  This  is  one  reason  that  He 
has  instituted  a  plurality  of  wives 
among  the  righteous,  that  those  noble 
pure  spirits  who  dwell  in  the  presence 
of  God  may  come  forth  into  the  world 
through  the  righteous  and  be  taught 
in  the  law  of  righteousness.  When 
God  sends  forth  these  spirits  and  en- 
trusts them  to  the  care  of  the  righte- 
ous, there  is  a  prospect  of  their  re- 
turning again  to  enjoy  the  fulness  of 
His  glory.  But  when  the  spirits  from 
Heaven  are  born  among  the  wicked, 


the  prospect  is,  that  they  will  be  cor- 
rupted by  the  precepts  and  wicked  ex- 
amples of  their  fathers,  and  thus  be 
unprepared  to  return  to  the  bosom  of 
their  Father  in  Heaven.  The  Father 
of  these  spirits,  through  the  love  which 
He  has  for  them,  is  greatly  pleased 
when  He  can  find  a  righteous  man 
unto  whom  he  can  safely  entrust  a 
great  number  of  wives,  and  make  him 
the  father  of  many  children,  and  by 
this  means  save  them  and  bring  them 
to  their  former  home  again. 

If  it  were  necessary  for  parents  who 
dwell  in  the  United  States  to  send  forth 
their  beloved  offspring  to  some  distant 
nation,  there  to  abide  for  many  years 
before  they  were  permitted  to  return, 
how  great  would  be  their  anxiety  to 
place  them  under  the  protection  of 
their  friends  instead  of  their  enemies. 
Would  not  parents  feel  the  most  in- 
tense desire  that  their  children  might 
be  placed  under  the  watch-care  of  their 
own  dear  friends  who  would  teach 
them  to  love  and  reverence  the  advice 
and  counsel  of  their  parents  ?  Would 
they  not  much  rather  entrust  one  hun- 
dred of  their  children  to  the  protection 
of  a  kind-hearted  wise  friend  than  one 
to  an  enemy  ?  All  will  answer,  with 
one  accord,  Ves.  If  then  earthly  pa- 
rents would  feel  so  great  a  solicitude 
for  the  welfare  of  their  absent  children, 
how  much  greater  must  be  the  desire 
of  the  Father  of  spirits  for  the  welfare 
of  His  own  beloved  offspring  when  He 
sends  them  from  home  to  a  distant 
world  to  be  entrusted  to  the  care  of 
earthly  parents.  What  must  be  His 
feelings  when  those  earthly  parents  are 
His  enemies!  When  they  will  by 
their  own  evil  influences  destroy  those 
pure  and  innocent  spirits  entrusted  to 
their  charge !  No  wonder  then  that 
the  Father  of  spirits  should  command 
His  friends  to  marry  a  plurality  of  wives 
that  those  precious  jewels  from  Heaven 
may  be  educated  in  the  law  of  righte- 
ousness and  in  due  time  safely  return 
to  the  bosom  of  their  heavenly  parents. 
Instead  of  condemning  His  friends  be- 
cause they  have  a  great  number  of 
wives  and  children,  He  will  bless  them, 
and  rejoice  over  them  because  of  their 
righteousness. 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


139 


Among  all  the  duties  devolving  upon 
mortal  man  there  is  none  of  more  im- 
portance than  that  of  marrying  in 
righteousness.  The  Lord  has  consid- 
ered this  institution  of  so  much  con- 
sequence that  He  has  ordained  author- 
ity that  has  the  power  to  determine 
as  to  the  number  of  wives  a  righteous 
man  may  have.  There  is  no  station  in 
life,  however  high  and  responsible,  that 
will  exempt  the  righteous  from  appeal- 
ing to  this  authority.  Joash,  the  king 
of  Israel,  though  a  good  man,  yet  had 
no  right  to  take  a  plurality  of  wives 
without  the  consent  of  the  authority 
which  God  had  ordained :  hence  we 
read  that  Jehoiada,  the  priest  "  took 
for  him  two  wives  and  he  begat  sons 
and  daughters"  ^2  Chron.  24;  3.) 
That  Joash  did  right  in  receiving  these 
two  wives  is  evident  from  the  preced- 
ing verse  :  "And  Joash  did  that  which 
was  right  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  all 
the  days  of  Jehoiada  the  priest," 
(verse  2.)  The  whole  history  of  Je- 
hoiada shows  that  he  also  was  a  man 
of  God  and  was  permitted  to  live  one 
hundred  and  thirty  years  ;  and  when 
he  died,  "  they  buried  him  in  the  city 
of  David  among  the  kings,  because  he 
had  done  good  in  Israel  both  toward 
God,  and  toward  his  house."  (2  Chron. 
24:  15,  16.)  These  passages  prove 
that  the  Plurality  of  wives  was  given 
to  this  good  man  by  the  authority  of 
Heaven.  The  very  first  time  that 
Hosea  obtained  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
it  was  about  getting  married.  The 
passage  reads  thus  :  '•  The  beginning 
of  the  word  of  the  Lord  by  Hosea. 
And  the  Lord  said  unto  Hosea,  Go, 
take  unto  thee  a  wife  of  -whoredoms." 
(Hosea  1 :  2.)  In  obedience  to  the 
word  of  God,  Hosea  "  went  and  took 
Gomer,  the  daughter  of  Diblaim." 
(verse  3.)  And  when  this  woman  had 
borne  unto  Hosea  two  sons  and  a 
daughter  the  Lord  commanded  him  to 
go  and  take  another  woman — an  adul- 
teress. (Hosea  3.)  Here,  then,  is  the 
most  positive  proof  that  God  com- 
manded a  holy  prophet  to  take  a  plu- 
rality of  wives.  If  the  beginning  of 
the  word  of  the  Lord  to  Joseph  Smith 
had  required  him  to  do  the  same  things 
that  Hosea  did,  Who  would  have  be- 


lieved in  the  divinity  of  his  mission  ? 

God  has  the  most,  undoubted  right 
to  command  His  servants  in  relation 
to  their  domestic  concerns  ;  and  what- 
ever He  dictates  is  right.  There  are 
many  things  which  would  be  sinful  in 
the  sight  of  God,  were  they  done  or 
practiced  without  a  commandment. 
The  Lord  in  the  days  of  Noah  had  for- 
bidden man  to  shed  the  blood  of  his  fel- 
low man ;  yet  the  Lord  commanded 
Abraham  to  offer  up  his  son  Isaac,  and 
Abraham  was  justified  in  attempting 
to  shed  his  blood.  Hosea  would  have 
been  condemned  for  marrying  two 
wicked  women,  had  not  the  Lord  com- 
manded him  to  do  it.  When  a  pro- 
phet or  servant  of  God  does  as  he  is 
commanded,  he  is  justified,  however 
contrary  it  may  be  to  former  com- 
mandments. If  God  has  the  right  to 
command  His  servants  to  do  directly 
contrary  to  what  he  has  formerly  com- 
manded, He  certainly  has  the  right  to 
dictate  them  to  take  a  plurality  of 
wives  which  is  in  no  way  violating  any 
former  command. 

It  was  sometimes  the  case  in  ancient 
times  that  the  husband  loved  some  of 
his  wives  more  than  others,  but  the 
Lord  gave  a  law  to  regulate  the  giving 
of  the  inheritance  to  the  children  in 
order  to  prevent  all  partiality  arising 
from  such  a  cause.  It  reads  thus  :  "  If 
a  man  have  two  wives,  one  beloved, 
and  another  hated,  and  they  have 
borne  him  children,  both  the  beloved 
and  the  hated :  and  if  the  first-born 
son  be  hers  that  was  hated :  then  it 
shall  be,  when  he  maketh  his  sons  to 
inherit  that  which  he  hath,  that  he 
may  not  make  the  son  of  the  beloved 
the  first-born  before  the  son  of  the 
hated,  which  is  indeed  the  first-born ; 
but  he  shall  acknowledge  the  son  of 
the  hated  for  the  first-born,  by  giving 
him  a  double  portion  of  all  that  he 
hath :  for  he  is  the  beginning  of  his 
strength ;  the  right  of  the  first-born 
is  his."  (Dent.  21:  15,  16,  17.) 
In  making  this  provision  for  the 
security  of  the  inheritance  of  the 
first-born,  there  is  no  disapprobation, 
whatever,  expressed  against  the  prac- 
tice of  plurality,  but  on  the  contrary, 
the  children  of  each  wife  are  consid- 


140 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


ered  perfectly  legitimate,  and  entitled 
to  the  proportionate  shares  of  his  pro- 
perty, in  the  same  manner  as  if  they 
were  the  children  of  one  wife. 

We  cannot  feel  justified  in  closing 
this  article  on  the  subject  of  marriage 
without  saying  a  few  words  to  unmar- 
ried females  in  this  church.     You  will 
clearly   perceive   from   the    revelation 
which  God  has  given   that  you  can 
never  obtain  a  fulness  of  glory  without 
being  married  to  a  righteous  man  for 
time  and  for  all  eternity.     If  you  mar- 
ry a  man  who  receives  not  the  gospel, 
you  lay  a  foundation  for  sorrow  in  this 
world,  besides  losing  the  privilege  of 
enjoying  the  society  of  a  husband  in 
eternity.     You  forfeit  your  right  to  an 
endless    increase    of    immortal    lives. 
And  even  the  children  which  you  may 
be  favored  with  in  this  life  will  not  be 
entrusted  to  your  charge  in  eternity ; 
but  you  will  be  left  in  that  world  with- 
out a  husband,  without  a  family,  with- 
out a  kingdom — without  any  means  of 
enlarging  yourselves,  being  subject  to 
the  principalities  and  powers  who  are 
counted  worthy  of  families,  and  king- 
doms, and  thrones,  and  the  increase  of 
dominions  forever.     To  them  you  will 
be  servants  and  angels — that  is,  pro- 
viding that   your  conduct  should  be 
such  as  to  secure  this  measure  of  glory. 
Can  it  be  possible  that  any  females,  af- 
ter knowing  these  things,  will  suffer 
themselves  to  keep   company  with  a 
persons  out  of  this  church  ?    It  matters 
not  how  great  the  morality  of  such 
persons   may  be,  nor  how  kind  they 
may  be  to  you,  they  are  not  numbered 
with  the  people  of  God ;  they  are  not 
in  the  way  of  salvation ;  they  cannot 
save  themselves  nor  their  families ;  and 
after  what  God  has  revealed  upon  this 
subject  you  cannot  be  justified,  for  one 
moment,   in    keeping  their    company. 
It  would  be  infinitely  better  for  you  to 
suffer  poverty  and  tribulation  with  the 
people  of  God,  than  to  place  yourselves 
under  the  power  of  those  who  will  not 
embrace  the  great  truths  of  Heaven. 
By  marrying  an  unbeliever  you  place 
yourselves  in  open  disobedience  to  the 
command  of  God  requiring  His  people 
to  gather  together.     Do  you  expect  to 
be  saved  in  direct  violation  of  the  com- 


mands of  Heaven  ?  If  not,  keep  your- 
selves wholly  and  entirely  from  the 
company  of  unbelievers.  Do  you  wish 
the  fellowship  of  the  Saints  ?  If  vou 
do,  have  no  fellowship  for  unbelievers. 
For  after  the  great  light  which  our 
Father  in  Heaven  has  given,  none  of 
the  Saints  will  have  any  confidence  in 
your  honesty  or  sincerity,  if  you  will 
recklessly  throw  yourselves  away  and 
cut  off  all  hopes  of  your  future  exalta- 
tion. No  female  that  has  a  respect  for 
the  work  of  God,  or  a  respect  for  her 
future  character  among  His  people, 
will  associate  or  keep  company  with 
any  but  Saints. 

Many  will  inquire,  What  will  be  the 
condition  of  those  who  have  died  be- 
fore this  light  was  revealed?  We  an- 
swer that  God  has  made  provisions 
in  the  laws,  ordinances,  and  plans,  in- 
stituted before  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  to  suit  the  circumstances  of 
every  individual.  Those  who  die  with- 
out hearing  a  message  sent  by  author- 
ity from  Heaven,  do  not  reject  it;  and 
God  has  ordained  that  in  the  dispensa- 
tion of  the  fulness  of  times  the  liv- 
ing shall  officiate  for  the  dead.  For 
this  cause  God  has  commanded  a  tem- 
ple to  be  built,  that  those  ordinances 
necessary  for  the  salvation  and  redemp- 
tion of  the  dead  may  be  revealed  and 
administered  in  the  same.  The  word 
of  the  Lord  which  came  unto  Joseph, 
the  Seer,  shows  the  importance  of 
these  things ;  it  reads  as  follows : 

"  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  your 
annointings,  and  your  washings,  and 
your  baptisms  for  the  dead,  and  your 
solemn  assemblies,  and  your  memorials 
for  your  sacrifices,  by  the  sons  of  Levi, 
and  for  your  oracles  in  your  most  holy 
places,  wherein  you  receive  conversa- 
tions, and  your  statutes  and  judgments, 
for  the  beginning  of  the  revelations 
and  foundation  of  Zion,  and  for  the 
glory,  and  honor,  and  endowment  of 
all  her  municiples,  are  ordained  by  the 
ordinance  of  my  holy  house,  which  my 
people  are  always  commanded  to  build 
unto  my  holy  name." — (Doctrine  and 
Covenants,  sec.  103:   12.) 

We  understand  by  this  revelation 
that  God's  people  are  always  command- 
ed to  build  unto  his  His  holy  name  a 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


141 


house,  wherein  baptisms,  and  all  other 
necessary  ordinances   may  be  legally 
administered,  not  only  for  the  living, 
but  also  for,  and  in  the  name  of,  and 
in  behalf  of  the  dead.     If  the  spirits  of 
the  dead  who  are  in  prison  will  hearken 
unto  the  messages  of  those  holding  the 
priesthood  who  are  sent  to  their  prison 
houses  to  open  the  prison  doors  and  set 
them  free  ;  if  they  will  believe  in  Jesus 
Christ  and  repent  of  all  their  sins,  and 
receive  the  glad  tidings  of  redemption  ; 
if  they  will  receive  by  faith  what  their 
friends  in  the  flesh  have  done  for  them 
through  the  ordinances  of  (rod's  holy 
house,  namely  :   the  baptisms,  confirm- 
ations, ordinations,  Avashings,  annoint- 
ings,  signs,  tokens,  keys,  and  sealing 
powers  which  are  administered  by  the 
living,  and  unto  the  living,  for  and  in 
the   name  of  the  dead ;   if  they  will, 
with  sincerity  of  faith  and  humble  re- 
pentance, believe  in  and  receive  all  that 
is  done  in  their  behalf  as  the  living  re- 
ceive what  Christ  has  done — they  shall 
be  redeemed  from   their  prisons,  and 
their  names  shall  be  recorded  among 
the   sanctified  in   the  Celestial  king- 
dom, and  the  records  in  Heaven  will 
be  according  to  the  records  of  God's 
holy  house  upon  the  earth ;  and  that 
which  is  done  and  sealed  on  the  earth 
for  and  in  their  behalf  will  be  acknow- 
ledged, recorded,    and   sealed   in    the 
Heavens,  and  will  be  valid  and  legal  in 
the  great  day  of  the  resurrection  of  the 
righteous ;    but  the  remainder  of  the 
spirits  who  will  not  receive  the  glad 
tidings  and  accept  of  deliverance  shall 
be  kept  in  chains  of  darkness  unto  the 
judgment  of  the  great  day,  and  their 
torment  shall  be  as  if  suffering  in  fiames 
of  fire,  where  their  worm  dieth  not. 

Do  you  inquire  how  we  are  to  ob- 
tain the  genealogies  of  our  fathers,  so 
as  to  do  this  work  for  them  which 
they,  when  living,  had  not  the  oppor- 
tunity of  doing,  and  which  they,  as 
spirits  in  prison,  cannot  do  ?  We  an- 
swer, that  it  is  the  duty  of  all  Saints 
among  all  nations  to  search  out,  as  far 
as  possible,  their  family  records,  and 
their  genealogies,  and  their  kindred, 
both  the  living  and  the  dead ;  and 
when  you  have  been  diligent  and  pro- 
cured all  the  information  within  your 


reach,  and  have  gone  into  the  holy 
Temple  of  theaMost  High,  and  done 
what  is  required  of  the  living  for  the 
dead.  Then  God  will  show  you  by 
his  Prophets  and  Seers,  and  by  holy 
messengers  and  angels,  the  genealogies 
of  your  fathers,  back  from  generation 
to  generation  unto  the  beginning,  or 
unto  the  time  when  the  powers,  and 
keys,  and  ordinances  of  the  priesthood 
were  upon  the  earth.  When  you  ob- 
tain these  genealogies,  it  will  be  your 
duty  to  receive  in  the  holy  temple, 
all  the  ordinances  and  sealing  powers 
which  were  instituted  in  the  councils 
of  the  Sons  of  God  before  the  world 
was  for  the  salvation,  redemption,  ex- 
altation, glory,  and  honor  of  the  dead 
who  died  without  a  knowledge  of 
these  things ;  for  you,  without  your 
fathers,  cannot  be  made  perfect,  neither 
can  the  ancient  fathers  who  held  the 
priesthood  be  made  perfect  without 
the  children. 

The  time  is  near  at  hand  when  the 
fathers  who  hold  the  priesthood  in 
Heaven  will  be  united  with  the  chil- 
dren who  hold  the  priesthood  upon  the 
earth  ;  but  there  are  many  generations 
intervening  who  held  not  the  priest- 
hood but  died  in  their  ignorance :  the 
grand  chain  of  patriarchal  government, 
according  to  the  order  of  generations, 
will  be  broken,  and  the  union  will  not 
be  complete,  unless  the  hearts  of  the 
fathers  are  turned  to  seek  after  the  re- 
demption of  the  generations  of  their 
children  who  have  laid  down  in  their 
graves  in  the  days  of  darkness ;  and 
also  unless  the  hearts  of  the  children 
are  turned  towards  their  fathers  :  thus 
through  the  united  exertions  of  the 
priesthood  in  Heaven  with  the  priest- 
hood upon  the  earth,  the  intermediate 
links  of  the  great  chain  of  generation 
will  be  restored,  and  the  union  of  the 
fathers  with  the  children  will  be  made 
perfect,  and  each  successive  generation 
will  stand  in  their  own  order,  exercis- 
ing their  patriarchal  authority,  and 
swaying  the  sceptre  of  righteousness, 
according  to  the  holy  order  of  the 
priesthood  forever  and  ever. 

When  these  holy  and  sacred  insti- 
tutions are  made  known  to  the  spirits 
in  prison  by  holy  messengers  holding 


142 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


the  priesthood,  they  will  be  left  to  their 
own  agency  either  to  receive  or  reject 
these  glad  tidings,  and  will  be  judged  ac- 
cording to  men  in  the  flesh  who  have 
the  privilege  of  hearing  the  same 
things.  By  the  same  law  they  shall 
be  justified,  and  by  the  same  law  they 
shall  be  condemned,  according  to  their 
works :  thus  God  has  ordained  the 
same  plan  for  the  salvation  of  both  the 
living  and  the  dead;  for  those  that  die 
in  ignorance  as  for  those  who  hear  it 
while  in  the  flesh. 

Among  these  sacred  and  holy  things, 
pertaining  to  the  fulness  of  the  ever- 
lasting priesthood,  and  the  eternal  ex- 
altation of  the  male  and  female,  is  that 
of  marriage  for  eternity,  which  ordi- 
nance was  instituted  for  the  benefit  of 
the  dead  as  well  as  the  living.  The 
proper  places  for  the  celebration  of  this 
holy  institution  are  in  Zion  and  in  her 
stakes  and  in  Jerusalem,  to  be  adminis- 
tered under  the  direction  and  by  the  au- 
thority of  him  whom  God  ordains  to 
hold  the  kej-s  of  the  sealing  powers 
among  His  people  upon  the  earth.  This 
ordinance,  like  baptisms  for  the  dead, 
and  numerous  other  ordinances,  belongs 
more  properly  to  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  and  should  be  attended  to  there- 
in as  soon  as  the  same  can  be  built. 

If  a  husband  has  lost  his  wife  by 
death  before  he  had  the  opportunity  of 
attending  to  this  holy  ordinance  and 
securing  her  as  his  lawful  wife  for 
eternity,  then  it  is  the  duty  of  the  se- 
cond wife,  first,  to  be  sealed  or  mar- 
ried to  the  husband  for  and  in  the  name 
of  the  deceased  wife  for  all  eternity, 
and  secondly,  to  be  married  for  time 
and  eternity,  herself,  to  the  same  man. 
Thus  by  this  holy  ordinance  both  the 
dead  and  the  living  wife  will  be  his 
in  the  eternal  worlds. 

But  if,  previously  to  marriage  for 
eternity,  a  woman  lose  her  husband  by 
death  and  marry  a  second,  and  if  her 
first  husband  was  a  good  man,  then  it 
is  the  duty  of  her  second  husband  to  be 
married  to  her  for  all  eternity,  not  for 
himself,  but  in  the  name  of  her  deceas- 
ed husband,  while  he,  himself,  can  only 
be  married  to  her  for  time ;  and  he  is 
obliged  to  enter  into  a  covenant  to  de- 
liver her  up  with  all  her  children  to 


her  deceased  husband  in  the  morning 
of  the  first  resurrection.  In  this  case, 
the  second  husband  would  have  no 
wife  only  for  time,  neither  could  he 
retain  his  children  in  the  eternal  worlds, 
for 'they,  according  to  the  law  of  Heaven, 
would  be  given  up  to  the  wife  and  her 
first  husband.  Therefore,  it  would  be 
the  duty  of  the  second  husband  to 
marry  a  second  wife  for  time  and 
eternity  ',  for  by  marrying  her  for  time, 
he  could  raise  up  an  offspring  which 
would  bear  up  his  name  not  only  on 
the  earth,  but,  with  their  mother,  they 
would  be  legally  his  in  the  resurrection. 
The  husband,  in  this  case,  must  neces- 
sarily have  two  wives  living  at  the 
same  time,  or  else  be  deprived  of  a 
wife  and  family  in  the  eternal  state. 

If  a  widower  marry  a  widow,  and 
each  desires  to  have  his  or  her  former 
partner  in  the  next  world  ;  then  it  is 
necessary  that  there  should  be  three 
ceremonies  of  marriage :  first,  that 
which  secures  the  widower  to  his  de- 
ceased wife,  second,  that  which  secures 
the  widow  to  her  deceased  husband, 
and  third,  that  which  constitutes  the 
widower  and  widow  husband  and  wife 
for  time  only.  In  this  case,  as  in  all 
others,  the  children  in  the  resurrection 
go  into  the  same  family  with  the  mother, 
the  reason  of  this  is,  because  the  woman 
can  only  have  a  limited  number  of 
children  here  in  this  life,  while  the  man, 
not  being  limited  by  the  law  of  God  to 
one  wife,  can  have  many  children ; 
therefore  it  is  not  according  to  the  or- 
der of  Heaven,  that  the  few  children 
which  a  woman  can  have,  should  be 
taken  from  her,  providing  that  she  has 
a  husband  for  eternity. 

If  the  husband  and  wife  both  die  in 
this  church,  before  they  have  secured 
each  other  for  eternity,  then  it  is  the 
duty  of  their  kindred  or  friends  in  the 
church  to  attend  to  the  holy  ordinance 
of  marriage  in  their  behalf,  that  what 
is  done  for  them  by  the  living,  accord- 
ing to  the  ordinance  and  authority  of 
Heaven,  may  be  recorded  in  the  sacred 
archives  in  their  behalf  in  the  day  when 
the  records  or  books  shall  be  opened ; 
for  then  it  shall  be  done  for  them,  ac- 
cording to  their  works,  and  the  works 
of  their  friends  who  have  acted  for  them, 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


143 


and  the  works  of  the  priesthood  whose 
acts  are  recorded  on  earth  and  in  Heaven. 
God  will  in  that  day  acknowledge  the 
authority  which  he  has  ordained,  and 
the  works  that  they  have  performed 
in  His  name,  and  according  to  His 
word. 

If  husbands  or  wives  die  before  they 
have  the  opportunity  of  being  baptized 
into  this  church,  then  it  is  necessary, 
before  the  ordinance  of  marriage  can 
be  administered  in  their  behalf,  that 
the  living  should  attend  to  baptisms, 
and  confirmations,  and  ordinations,  and 
washings,  and  annointings,  and  all  other 
institutions  ordained  of  God,  for  and  in 
the  name  of  the  deceased,  and  last  of 
all  the  sealing  powers  of  marriage  and 
the  blessings  connected  therewith,  that 
the  dead  may  in  all  things  be  justified, 
and  sanctified,  and  exalted,  and  glori- 
fied, and  made  kings,  and  priests,  and 
Gods,  through  the  same  laws  and  or- 
dinances  as  the  living ;  they  being 
agents  in  the  world  of  spirits  to  receive 
or  to  reject  that  which  is  done  for  them, 
the  same  as  the  living. 

In  like  manner,  onr  progenitors,  back 
from  generation  to  generation,  will 
have  the  privilege  of  redemption,  and 
of  exaltation,  and  of  wives  and  children 
through  the  keys  of  the  everlasting 
priesthood  sent  down  from  Heaven,  and 
conferred  upon  the  living  for  the  sal- 
vation of  the  nations  on  earth,  and  of 
the  generations  of  the  dead,  that  all  in 
time  and  in  eternity  both  in  the  flesh 
and  out  of  the  flesh  that  will  hear  and 
receive  the  same,  may  be  gathered  in 
one  and  be  glorified  together  and  made 
perfect  in  one  :  and  thus  shall  all  gen- 
erations both  those  in  Heaven  and  those 
upon  the  earth,  as  well  as  those  redeem- 
ed from  prison,  be  united  and  welded 
together  by  their  appropriate  links, 
under  Adam  the  grand  Patriarch  of 
all  generations,  the  Prince  of  all,  and 
the  father  of  all,  under  the  counsel  and 
direction  of  the  Holy  One  who  is  from 
all  eternity,  the  Father  of  lights,  who 
is  in  all,  and  over  all,  and  through  all 
things,  the  life  and  glory  of  all  things, 
and  the  power  by  which  all  things  will 
be  governed,  whether  they  be  patriarchs 
or  families,  principalities  or  kingdoms, 
thrones  or  dominions ;   all  will  bow  in 


humble  reverence  before  nim  and  give 
Him  glory  for  ever  and  ever. 

The  husband  is  the  head  of  the  fam- 
ily, and  it  is  his  duty  to  govern  his 
wife  or  wives  and  children  according 
to  the  law  of  righteousness ;  and  it  is 
the  duty  of  his  wives  to  be  subject  unto 
him  in  all  things  even  as  the  church  is 
subject  unto  Christ.  This  is  clearly 
revealed  in  the  declaration  of  the  Lord 
to  Eve  immediately  after  the  fall.  It 
was  said  unto  her,  "  Thy  desire  shall 
be  to  thy  husband  and  he  shall  rule 
oyer  thee.")  Gen.  3:  10.)  This  di- 
vine institution  in  the  order  of  family 
government  was  intended  as  an  ever- 
lasting order  to  be  continued  in  all 
generations.  Each  wife  should  seek 
counsel  from  her  husband,  and  obey 
the  same  with  all  meekness  and  pa- 
tience in  all  things.  This  order  of 
things  is  only  applicable  in  the  fami- 
lies of  the  righteous;  for  God  has 
nothing  to  do  with  the  families  of  the 
wicked,  only  to  bring  them  to  judg- 
ment for  all  their  wicked  deeds.  But 
the  families  of  the  righteous  are  under 
the  most  sacred  obligations  to  give  the 
most  earnest  heed  to  all  the  counsels 
of  the  head  of  the  family :  and  he  is 
bound  by  the  heaviest  responsibilities 
to  counsel  with  sobriety,  meekness, 
wisdom,  and  prudence,  exercising  for- 
bearance, patience,  and  long-suffering, 
showing  mercy  and  compassion  when 
it  is  required,  but  to  be  strict  and  un- 
yielding in  the  enforcement  of  all 
things  calculated  for  the  good  of  the 
family ;  he  should  never  suffer  himself 
to  be  moved  to  the  right  hand  nor  to 
the  left  from  the  principles  of  righte- 
ousness either  by  the  smiles  or  tears 
of  wives  or  children.  He  should  be 
fixed  and  immovable  as  the  throne  of 
Heaven  in  every  right  and  holy  princi- 
ple. But  when  he  can  in  righteous- 
ness yield  to  the  desires  of  his  family, 
let  him  do  so,  and  by  kindness  and 
love  nourish  and  cherish  them,  as  the 
Lord  does  the  church  ;  and  in  so  doing, 
they  will  love  and  honor  him  as  a  hus- 
band and  a  father. 

The  wife  should  never  follow  her 
own  judgment  in  preference  to  that  of 
her  husband ;  for  if  her  husband  de- 
sires to  do  right,  but  errs  in  judgment, 


144 


Baptisms — Emigration — Notice. 


the  Lord  will  bless  her  in  endeavoring 
to  carry  out  his  counsels ;  for  God  has 
placed  him  at  the  head,  and  though 
he  may  err  in  judgment,  yet  God  will 
not  justify  the  wife  in  disregarding  his 
instructions  and  counsels ;  for  greater 
is  the  sin  of  rebellion,  than  the  errors 
which  arise  for  the  want  of  judgment ; 
therefore,  she  would  be  condemned  for 
suffering  her  will  to  arise  against  his. 
Be  obedient,  and  God  will  cause  all 
things  to  work  for  good ;  and  He  will 
correct  the  errors  of  the  husband  in 
due  time  by  the  authorities  of  the 
priesthood  ;  and  if  he  govern  his  family 
in  unrighteousness,  and  the  wife  is 
obedient,  the  sin  will  be  upon  his  head, 
and  if  he  repent  not,  when  he  is  re- 
proved, he  will  be  disfellowshipped,  af- 
ter which,  the  woman  is  not  under  the 
same  obligations  to  abide  by  all  his 
councils,  as  in  the  days  of  his  righte- 
ousness. As  we  have  already  observ- 
ed, the  law  of  strict  obedience  on  the 
part  of  the  wife  and  children  is  only 
applicable  in  families  who  are  in  the 
church  of  God,  and  in  full  fellowship, 
Rebellion  in  families  is  as  sinful  as  re- 
bellion against  the  authorities  ordained 
in  the  church ;  and  a  wife  will  lose  the 
spirit  of  God  in  refusing  to  obey  the 


counsel  of  her  husband,  just  the  same 
as  members  of  the  church  would  in  re- 
belling against  the  counsels  imparted 
to  them  by  the  priesthood. 

Family  government  is  the  first  order 
of  government  established  on  the  earth. 
The  different  members  of  a  family 
should  seek  to  be  one  in  all  things  ;  for 
if  they  are  not  one,  how  can  it  be  ex- 
pected that  different  families  can  be- 
come one  ?  If  the  members  of  the 
same  family  will  not  be  subject  to  the 
order,  ordained  of  God  for  their  gov- 
ernment, they  certainly  could  not  be 
united  with  other  families  under  the 
government  of  the  priesthood  with  any 
expectation  of  preserving  peace.  God 
designs  to  make  all  the  families  of 
Heaven  one  with  the  families  of  the 
righteous  upon  the  earth.  In  order 
to  accomplish  this,  the  most  perfect 
order  of  family  government  must  be 
adopted.  Husbands  must  govern  their 
wives  and  children  in  righteousness, 
and  wives  and  children  must  learn  to 
honor  and  respect  the  counsels  of  the 
head  of  the  family.  And  when  every 
family  become  one  in  all  things,  they 
will  be  prepared  to  unite  themselves 
together  under  a  more  general  form  of 
government. 


(To  be  continued.) 


Baptisms — Emigration. 

May  14. — Elder  Jesse  Turpin  has  lately  baptized  nearly  thirty  persons  in 
New  Jersey.  Elder  Preston  Thomas  has  recently  baptized  about  the  same 
number  in  Texas  :  twenty-three  were  immersed  in  one  evening.  Many  of  these 
will  emigrate  to  Utah  this  season :  they  will  drive  from  a  thousand  to  fifteen 
hundred  head  of  loose  cattle,  and  will  probably  take  a  northwestern  course  by 
the  way  of  the  head  waters  of  the  Arkansas,  and  strike  the  main  emigrant  road 
near  Fort  Larimie.  The  number  of  Saints  crossing  the  plains  this  season,  will 
probably  number  near  four  thousand. 

NOTICE. — We  are  abont  to  take  our  departure  from  Washington  to  Eng- 
land, and  shall  probably  be  absent  some  two  or  three  months,  (from  this  date, 
May  14th.)  Our  correspondents  need  not  expect  any  answer  to  their  commu- 
nications until  our  return.  EDITOR. 


CONTENTS. 

The  Pre-existence  of  Man 129 

Celestial  Marriage 135 

Baptisms — Emigration — Notice 144 

WASHINGTON  CITY,   D.   C. 

Edited  and  Published  bt  Orsov  Phatt, 

at  $1  per  annum,  invariably  in  advance. 


I  //,'.'/  '//'/ ■// 


SiT^tfO^ 


MM 


g?$ 


All  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  He 
lifteth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains.— Isaiah  xvm,  3. 


Vol.  I. 


OCTOBER,  1853. 


No.  10. 


POWER  AND  ETERNITY  OF  THE  PRIESTHOOD. 


The  Priesthood  of  God  is  the  great, 
supreme,  legal  authority  that  governs 
the   inhabitants   of  all   redeemed  and 
glorified  worlds.    In  it  is  included  all 
power  to  create  worlds,  to  ordain  fixed 
and  permanent  laws  for  the  regulation 
of  the  materials  in  all  their  varied  ope- 
rations, whether  acting  as  particles,  as 
masses,    as   worlds,    or    as    clusters  of 
worlds.     It  is  that  power  that  formed 
the  minerals,  the  vegetables,  and  the 
animals  in  all  their  infinite  varieties 
which  exist  upon  our  globe.     It  is  that 
authority  that  reveals  laws  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  intelligent  beings — that  re- 
wards the  obedient  and  punishes  the 
disobedient — that    ordains    principali- 
ties, powers,  and  kingdoms  to  carry  out 
its  righteous  administrations  through- 
out all   dominions.      The   Kingly  au- 
thoritv  is  not  separate  and  distinct  from 
the  Priesthood,  but  merely  a  branch 
or  portion  of  the  same.     The  Priestly 
authority  is    universal,  having  power 
over  all  things ;  the  Kingly  authority 
until  perfected  is  limited  to  the  king- 
doms   placed   under  its    jurisdiction: 
the  former  appoints   and  ordains  the 
latter;  but  the  latter  never  appoints 
and  ordains  the  former  :  the  first  con- 
trols the  laws  of  nature,  and  exercises 
jurisdiction  over  the  elements,  as  well 
as   over   men ;  the  last  controls  men 
only,  and  administers  just  and  righteous 
laws  for  their  government.    Where  the 
two  are  combined  and  the  individual 


perfected,  he  has  almighty  power  both 
as  a  King  and  as  a  Priest ;  both  offices 
are  then  merged  in  one.  The  distinc- 
tions then,  will  be  merely  in  the  name 
and  not  in  the  authority :  either  as  a 
King  or  a  Priest  he  will  then  have 
power  and  dominion  over  all  things, 
and  reign  over  all.  Both  titles,  com- 
bined, will  then  not  give  him  any  more 
power  than  either  one  singly.  It  is 
evident  that  the  distinctions  of  title  are 
only  expressive  of  the  condition  of 
things  prior  to  the  glorification  and 
perfection  of  the  persons  who  hold  the 
Priesthood  ;  for  when  they  are  perfect- 
ed, they  will  have  power  to  act  in  every 
branch  of  authority  by  virtue  of  the 
great,  and  almighty,  and  eternal  Priest- 
hood which  they  hold:  they  can  then 
sway  their  sceptres  as  Kings ;  rule  as 
Princes,  minister  as  Apostles  ;  officiate 
as  Teachers ;  or,  act  in  the  humblest 
or  most  exalted  capacity.  There  is  no 
branch  of  the  Priesthood  so  low  that 
they  cannot  condescend  to  officiate 
therein ;  none  so  high,  that  they  can- 
not reach  forth  the  arm  of  power  and 
control  the  same. 

That  the  power  of  the  Priesthood  is 
almighty  Is  evident  from  the  fact  that 
God  the  Father  and  His  Only  Begot- 
ten Son  both  hold  the  priesthood.  If 
God  the  Father  were  not  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  Priesthood,  He  never  could 
have  called,  appointed,  made,  and  con- 
secrated Jesus  a  High  Priest.     Paul, 


in  speaking  of  Christ,  says,  "He  be- 
came the  author  of  eternal  salvation 
unto  all  them  that  obey  him  ;  called  of 
God  an  high  priest  after  the  order  of 
Melchisedec."  (Heb.  7:  9,10.)  Again 
lie  says,  ''Christ  glorified  not  himself 
to  be  made  an  high  priest ;  but  He 
that  said  unto  him,  Thou  art  my  Son, 
to  day  have  I  begotten  thee.  As  He 
saith  also  in  another  place,  Thou  art  a 
priest  for  ever  after  the  order  of  Mel- 
chisedec.'* (Heb.  5  :  5,  6.)  These  two 
pas-ages  prove  that  the  Father  called 
his  Son  to  the  Priesthood. 

We  will  next  prove  that  God  not 
only  called  His  Son  to  be  a  High  Priest, 
but  appointed  and  made  him  such  by 
an  oath.  Paul  exhorts  the  Hebrew 
church  as  follows,  "Therefore,  holy 
brethren,  partakers  of  the  heavenly 
calling,  consider  the  Apostle  and  High 
Priest  of  our  profession,  Christ  Jesus ; 
who  was  faithful  to  Him  that  appoint- 
ed him,  as  also  Moses  was  faithful  in 
all  his  house."     (Heb.  3:1,  2.) 

"And  inasmuch  as  not  without  an 
oath  he  was  made  Priest  :  (for  those 
priests,"  [the  Aaronic  priests]  "were 
made  without  an  oath ;  but  tliis  with 
an  oath  by  Him  that  said  unto  him, 
The  Lord  sware  and  will  not  repent, 
Thou  art  a  priest  for  ever  after  the  or- 
der of  Melchisedec :)  by  so  much  was 
Jesus  made  a  surety  of  a  better  testa- 
ment."    (Heb.  1 :  20-22.) 

Jesus  was  not  only  called,  appointed, 
and  made  a  High  Priest  with  an  oath, 
but  was  also  consecrated.  "For  the 
law  maketh  men  high  priests  which 
have  infirmity;  but  the  word  of  the 
oath,  which  was  since  the  law,  maketh 
the  Son,  who  is  consecrated  forever- 
more."  (Heb.  1:  28.)  To  constitute 
Jesus  a  High  Priest,  then,  required  a 
Calling,  an  Appointment,  an  Oath,  and 
a  Consecration.  The  fact  that  God 
the  Father  conferred  this  authority  upon 
His  Son,  shows  most  conclusive! v  that 
He,  Himself,  was  in  possession  of  the 
same  great  Priesthood  ;  for  we  cannot 
conceive  it  possible  for  a  being  to  con- 
fer that  which  he  does  not,  himself, 
possess. 

Many  suppose  that  there  were  never 
but  two  persons  who  held  this  greater 
Priesthood,  namely,  Jesus  and  Melchi- 


sedec. If  so,  who  conferred  this  Priest- 
hood upon  Melchisedec  ?  Could  it  have 
been  Christ  ?  for,  according  to  Paul,  it 
was  many  centuries  after  the  days  of 
Melchisedec,  and  even  after  the  law 
was  given  by  Moses,  before  God  made 
and  consecrated  with  an  oath,  His  Son 
a  High  Priest.  Would  the  Messiah 
call,  ordain,  and  consecrate  Melchise- 
dec to  an  office  before  he,  himself,  re- 
ceived the  sacred  ordinance  of  conse- 
cration ?  If  not,  who  had  a  right  to 
consecrate  him  to  that  office  ?  We 
answer  that  no  one  would  be  likely  to 
do  this,  unless  he  himself  held  the 
office. 

Paul  says  furthermore,  that  the 
Priesthood  which  Melchisedec  had  re- 
ceived, was  "  without  father,  without 
mother,  without  descent,  having  neither 
beginning  of  days,  nor  end  of  life."" 
(Heb.  7:  3.)  Melchisedec,  having  re- 
ceived such  a  Priesthood,  and  being 
"made  like  unto  the  Son  of  God;  abi- 
deth  a  priest  continually."  As  the 
Priesthood  had  no  "beginning  of  days" 
it  must  have  existed  before  the  days  of 
our  earth  had  a  commencement.  But 
Who  then  possessed  it?  We  answer,. 
God,  the  Father  of  our  Spirits,  then 
possessed  it,  in  all  its  glorious  power 
and  fulness ;  for  if  He  nor  no  one  else 
held  the  Priesthood  before  the  com- 
mencement of  the  days  of  creation,, 
tl\en  it  could  not  have  been,  as  Paul 
declares,  "  without  beginning  of  days." 
Having  proved  that  God  the  Father 
possessed  the  Priesthood  before  the 
days  of  creation,  and  that  Melchisedec 
in  the  days  of  Abraham  held  the  same 
Priesthood,  and  that  Jesus,  by  "the 
tvord  of  the  oath  which  was  since  the 
law"  was  "Called"  "Appointed" 
"Made"  and  "Consecrated"  a  High 
Priest  for  evermore  after  the  same  or- 
der, it  will  easily  be  seen,  that  in  the 
Priesthood  was  vested  all  power.  By 
the  exercise  of  this  Priesthood,  God; 
the  Father  made  the  worlds  through 
His  Son.  By  it,  the  Son  received  all 
power  both  in  heaven  and  upon  the 
earth.  By  it,  he  will  sit  upon  "the 
throne  of  his  father  David ;  and  will 
reign  over  the  house  of  Jacob  for  ever;. 
and  of  his  kingdom  there  will  be  no- 
end."     (Luke  1 :  32,  33.)     By  it,  he 


POWER  AND  ETERNITY  OF  THE  PRIESTHOOD. 


147 


lias  "ascended  up  far  above  all  heavens 
that  he  might  fill  all  things."  By  it, 
he  has  obtained  eternal  crowns,  to 
reign  as  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of 
lords,  over  all  kingdoms  and  domin- 
ions, principalities  and  powers  in  this 
world,  or  in  the  world  of  spirits,  or  in 
the  endless  dominions  of  his  Father. 

Although  Paul  informs  us  that  Jesus 
was  called  and  made  a  High  Priest 
centuries  after  the  law  was  given,  yet 
there  is  no  doubt  that  he  was  considered 
in  the  mind  of  his  Father  the  same  as 
a  High  Priest  before  the  foundation  of 
the  world ;  and  that  by  virtue  of  the 
Priesthood  which  he  should,  in  a  future 
age,  receive,  he  could  organize  worlds 
and  show  forth  almighty  power.  God, 
by  his  fore-knowledge,  saw  that  His 
Son  would  keep  all  his  commands,  and 
determined,  at  a  certain  time,  to  call 
and  consecrate  him  a  High  Priest ; 
He  determined  also  that  by  virtue  of 
that  future  consecration  to  the  Priest- 
hood, he  should,  thousands  of  years 
beforehand,  have  power  to  create  worlds 
and  govern  them,  the  same  as  if  he  had 
already  received  the  consecration.  All 
his  marvellous  acts  and  doings,  there- 
fore, prior  to  his  consecration,  were  just 
as  much  the  results  of  the  authority 
of  the  Priesthood,  as  those  performed 
by  him  since  that  time. 

All  the  powers  of  the  Priesthood 
which  the  Father  possessed  were  con- 
ferred upon  the  Son,  so  that  he  became 
equal  with  the  Father  in  all  things; 
being  equal  with  Him  in  knowledge,  i 
in  glory,  in  power,  in  dominion,  and  in 
the  perfection  of  every  attribute. 

As  all  the.  power  that  the  Father  and 
Son  possess,  is  included  in  the  Priest- 
hood, it  is  evident  that  if  they  invest 
any  power  on  others,  it  must  be  by  the 
Priesthood  or  a  branch  thereof;  for 
without  the  Priesthood,  and  the  au- 
thorities growing  out  of  it,  there  can 
be  no  government  on  any  world  that 
is  legal  or  acceptable  in  the  sight  of 
God ;  though  they  may  be  legal  so  far 
as  human  authority  is  concerned.  All 
kingdoms,  empires,  republics,  and  other 
governments,  established  by  men,  are 
invested  with  human  authority;  and 
general  consent  renders  them  legal  in 
a  certain  sense,  and  as  such  they  should 


be  respected,  and  their  laws  obeyed. 
But,  if  a  government  is  not  established 
by  the  Priesthood,  it  is  not  the  order 
of  God,  and  its  doings  will  not  in  the 
day  of  judgment  be  recognized  as  le- 
gal, or  of  divine  appointment.  All  or- 
ders of  government  not  theocratical, 
however  good  and  moral  they  may  be 
in  other  respects,  are,  nevertheless,  de- 
partures from  the  heavenly  and  divine 
older,  and  must  eventually  come  to  an 
end.  The  United  States  government 
is  the  best  human  government  upon 
the  earth.  God  suffered  it  to  be  es- 
tablished in  order  that  liberty  and 
freedom  of  conscience  might  be  en- 
joyed;  and  God  says,  "For  this  pur- 
pose have  I  established  the  Constitution 
of  this  land,  by  the  hands  of  wise  men 
whom  I  raised  up  unto  this  very  pur- 
pose." So  far  as  freedom,  and  liberty, 
and  the  Constitution,  and  the  righteous 
laws  founded  upon  the  same,  are  con- 
cerned, the  United  States  government 
may  be  considered  of  God.  It  was 
the  best  government  which  the  people, 
under  the  circumstances,  were  capable 
of  receiving.  A  theocratical  govern- 
ment, under  an  inspired  Priesthood, 
would  have  been  better  still ;  but  the 
people  were  not  prepared  for  such  a 
form  of  government ;  and  would  not 
have  received  it,  if  it  had  been  pro- 
posed ;  consequently  God  gave  them 
the  next  best,  or  such  a  one  as  He  saw 
they  would  receive.  And  why  did  He 
do  it?  it  was  in  order  to  prepare  the 
way  for  His  kingdom,  that  when  He 
should  offer  the  people  a  theocracy  they 
might  have  liberty  of  conscience,  and 
be  free  to  receive  or  reject  it,  and  be 
accountable,  in  this  thing,  to  God  only 
and  not  to  man.  This  Republic,  there- 
fore, was  established  of  God,  not  as  a 
perfect  form  of  government,  but  as  a 
stepping  stone  to  one  that  was  perfect, 
and  of  His  own  order,  founded  on  the 
revelation  of  the  Priesthood,  and  its 
laws  and  ordinances.  Such  a  govern- 
ment was  set  up  on  the  earth,  and  in 
the  midst  of  this  Republic,  in  the  year 
1830,  being  wholly  and  entirely  theo- 
cratical in  its  nature;  its  offices,  laws, 
and  ordinances,  all  being  revealed  from 
heaven.  But  is  it  lawful  for  such  a 
government   to   be   organized   in   the 


148 


POWER  AND  ETERNITY  OF  THE  PRIESTHOOD. 


midst  of  this  Republic  ?  It  most  cer- 
tainly is;  for  the  glorious  Constitution 
permits  all  forms  of  ecclesiastical  gov- 
ernment to  exist  within  the  Republic, 
providing  that  those  forms  do  not  in- 
fringe upon  the  principles  contained  in 
that  sacred  document,  nor  come  in  con- 
tact with  the  laws  of  the  country. 
The  Constitution  and  the  Republican 
form  of  government  are  good  as  far  as 
they  go,  but  they  stop  infinitely  short 
of  the  glorious  privileges  and  powers 
enjoyed  in  the  more  perfect  form  of 
God's  government ;  so  far,  therefore,  as 
the  preparatory  government  is  good,  it 
is  in  no  wise  to  be  disannulled  and 
done  away,  but  to  be  received,  cherish- 
ed, and  sustained  in  connection  with 
the  far  greater  good  revealed  in  the 
government  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

If  mankind  had  not  rebelled  against 
God  and  His  authority,  there  never 
would  have  been  but  one  form  of  gov- 
ernment upon  the  earth,  and  that  would 
have  been  a  Theocracy — a  government 
wholly  under  an  inspired  Priesthood, 
having  no  laws  of  human  origin,  but 
bein'i;  constantly  guided  and  controlled 
by  divine  laws,  statutes,  and  ordinances, 
and  new  revelations,  suited  to  the  con- 
dition and  circumstances  of  each  indi- 
vidual among  all  the  happy  nations. 
All  the  varied  forms  of  government 
that  have  been  upon  the  earth  from  the 
earliest  ages  until  the  present,  that 
have  not  been  according  to  this  heaven- 
ly order,  have  arisen  through  transgres- 
sion ;  even  the  law  of  carnal  command- 
ments given  through  Moses  "  was  added 
because  of  transgression,"  and  because 
of  the  hardness  of  the  hearts  of  the 
children  of  Israel.  The  kingdoms  of 
this  world  were  founded  in  transgres- 
sion, and  the  world  has  been  in  a  state 
of  rebellion  against  the  legal  govern- 
ment of  the  great  Priesthood  of  God 
for  about  six  thousand  years.  But  the 
Lord  has  determined  to  overthrow  all 
governments  established  by  human  au- 
thority, and  cast  down  their  thrones, 
and  b.eak  them  to  pieces  as  a  potter's 
vessel,  and  consume  them  as  stubble, 
and  blow  them  away  as  the  chaff  of 
the  summer-threshing  floors,  that  no 
place  shall  be  found  for  them ;  while 
His  Kingdom,  set  up  by  His  power, 


shall  become  a  great  mountain  and  fill 
the  whole  earth ;  and  the  Kingdom 
and  dominion,  and  the  greatness  of  the 
Kingdom  under  the  whole  heavens, 
will  be  given  to  the  saints ;  and  the 
Kingdom  will  be  an  everlasting  King- 
dom that  will  never  be  destroyed,  but 
will  continue  in  its  glory  for  ever  and 
ever ;  because  it  is  the  order  of  heaven, 
founded  by  the  eternal  Priesthood, 
upon  eternal  principles  and  laws,  re- 
vealed from  the  eternal  King.  This 
will  be  a  Theocracy  ;  this  will  be  a  Di- 
vine government ;  this  will  be  a  resto- 
ration of  the  legal  power ;  and  the 
earth  which  has  groaned  under  the 
usurpation  of  treasonable  and  rebellious 
powers  for  six  thousand  years,  will 
again  have  peace  restored,  and  the  in- 
habitants thereof  will  be  happy.  It  is 
to  accomplish  these  great  results  that 
God  has  set  up  His  Kingdom  as  fore- 
told by  his  ancient  prophets :  He  has 
founded  it  in  the  midst  of  the  great 
and  glorious  Republic  of  the  United 
States  which  was  also  founded  by  His 
divine  wisdom,  as  a  preparatory  gov- 
ernment for  His  Kingdom.  It  is  here, 
in  this  land  of  freedom  and  equal  rights, 
that  the  eternal  Priesthood  with  its 
keys  of  power  and  glory,  has  been  sent 
down  from  heaven  by  the  hands  of 
Peter,  James,  and  John ;  it  is  here, 
where  the  proud  eagle  spreads  forth 
her  wings  for  the  protection  of  the 
rights  of  conscience,  that  the  legal 
power  of  heaven  has  once  more  revi- 
sited this  rebellious  creation  to  assert 
its  heavenly  rights  among  the  hosts  of 
men  ;  it  is  here,  under  the  broad  folds 
of  the  American  Constitution,  itself  of 
divine  origin,  that  a  more  glorious  gov- 
ernment has  been  established,  which 
must  increase,  and  spread  wider  and 
wider,  until  the  whole  earth  shall  be 
enrobed  with  its  glory  ;  it  is  here,  upon 
the  heart  of  this  broad  continent,  where 
the  everlasting  mountains  tower  their 
whitened  summits,  far  above  the  clouds, 
that  a  people  live  and  reign,  who  are 
destined  to  fill  the  earth  with  heavenly 
light  and  truth,  till  darkness  shall  be 
no  more  ;  it  is  here,  where  liberty  has 
sought  a  resting  place  from  the  tyran- 
nical powers  of  the  old  world,  that 
Zion's  towers  shall  rise  and  greet  the 


POWER  AND  ETERNITY  OF  THE  PRIESTHOOD. 


149 


heavens,  and  the  shining  hosts  above, 
arrayed  in  glorious  splendor,  descend 
to  reign" with  man  on  earth.  0  Ame- 
rica, how  art  thou  favored  above  all 
lands  !  O  happy  Republic,  how  exalted 
above  all  nations  !  Within  thee  is  the 
Kingdom  of  God  !  Thou  wast  chosen 
to  prepare  its  way  !  It  must  increase, 
but  thou  shalt  decrease !  Thou  didst 
lift  up  thy  voice  and  cry  to  the  nations, 
Behold,  here  are  liberty  and  freedom 
for  all,  but  that  which  came  after  thee, 
shall  thoroughly  purge  the  floor,  and 
restore  everlasting  peace  and  liberty  to 
the  whole  earth  !  Among  all  the  gov- 
ernments established  by  human  wis- 
dom, none  were  greater  than  this  Re- 
public, but  that  power  which  is  least 
in  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  greater  than 
it.  The  one  must  remain  forever, 
while  the  other,  having  accomplished 
the  purpose  for  which  it  was  raised  up, 
must  cease  to  be,  being  superseded  by 
that  which  is  more  glorious. 

There  never  would  have  been  any 
necessity  for  a  restoration  of  this  divine 
order  of  Government,  if  mankind  had 
not  revolted  against  the  legal  power 
and  substituted  human  laws  for  those 
that  were  divine.  In  the  early  ages 
the  Priesthood  bore  rule  among  those 
who  were  righteous.  According  to  the 
revelations  which  God  gave  to  Joseph 
the  Seer,  the  Priesthood  was  given  to 
Adam,  and  through  the  lineage  of 
Seth  was  transferred  from  generation  to 
generation  to  the  days  of  Noah ;  and 
from  Noah  it  continued  from  father  to 
Son  until  the  days  of  Melchisedec  who 
conferred  it  upon  Abraham.  Also  in 
the  days  of  Abraham  God  by  His  own 
hand  conferred  the  Priesthood  upon 
Esaias;  and  Esaias  ordained  Gad;  and 
Gad  ordained  Jeremy ;  and  Jeremy  or- 
dained Elihu  ;  and  Elihu  ordained  Ca- 
leb, and  Caleb  ordained  Jethro,  Moses 
father-in-law;  and  Jethro  ordained 
Moses.  Thus  this  greater  Priesthood 
had  place  on  the  earth  from  Adam  till 
Moses;  and  each  successive  Priest  pro- 
claimed the  same  salvation,  adminis- 
tered the  same  gospel,  with  all  its  or- 
dinances and  blessings,  that  were 
preached  and  received  after  Christ,  In 
and  through  the  ordinances  of  the 
Priesthood,  the  power  of  Godliness  was 


manifest,  and  by  it,  holy  men  were 
enabled  to  converse  with  God  face  to 
face ;  and  also  through  the  Priesthood 
many  obtained  sufficient  faith  and  pow- 
er to  be  translated ;  by  the  power  of 
the  Priesthood  Enoch  and  his  city 
were  taken  up  into  heaven,  and  re- 
served until  a  day  of  righteousness 
shall  come,  when  they  will  come  again 
on  earth  and  have  place  until  the  end. 

The  Priesthood,  therefore,  is  the 
great  medium  of  power,  both  in  the 
heavens  and  upon  the  earth.  It  existed 
before  the  days  of  creation,  being 
"  without  beginning  of  days." 

We  shall  next  prove  that  the  Priest- 
hood is  Eternal.  We  have  already 
shown  that  Christ  was  consecrated  a 
Priest  "for  evermore1'1 — that  he  was 
made  "a  Priest  forever  after  the  order 
( if  Melchisedec"  We  have  also  proved 
that  Melchisedec,  being  "made  like 
unto  the  Son  of  God,  abideth  a  Priest 
continually."  Both  Melchisedec  and 
the  Son  of  God,  according  to  Paul, 
were  to  remain  Priests  continually,  that 
is,  for  evermore  :  their  Priesthood  was 
an  everlasting  Priesthood  which  should 
never  have  an  end. 

The  saints  receive  the  Priestly  and 
Kingly  office  here  in  this  life ;  hence, 
John  the  Revelator  expresses  himself 
as  follows:  "Unto  him  that  loved  us, 
and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his 
own  blood,  and  hath  made  us  Kings 
and  Priests  unto  God  and  his  Father ; 
to  him  be  glory  and  dominion  forever 
and  ever."  (Rev.  1 :  5,  6.)  The  saints 
being  ordained  here  in  this  life  both 
Kings  and  Priests,  hold  the  authority 
after  they  die  and  go  to  the  world  of 
spirits.  Hence,  John  heard  them  sing- 
ing in  the  spirit  world  the  following 
song:  "Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the 
book,  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof: 
for  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed 
us  to  God  by  thy  blood  out  of  every 
kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and 
nation;  and  hast  made  us  unto  our 
God  Kings  and  Priests :  and  we  shall 
reign  on  the  earth."  (Rev.  5:  9,  10.) 
The  saints  not  only  retain  the  office  of 
Kings  and  Priests  while  as  disembodied 
spirits,  but  they  also  hold  the  office 
after  the  resurrection.  Therefore,  John 
writes,  saying,  "Blessed  and  holy  is  he 


150 


POWER  AND  ETERNITY  OF  THE  PRIESTHOOD. 


that  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection  : 
on  such  the  second  death  hath  no 
power,  hut  they  shall  he  Priests  of 
God  and  of  Christ,  and  shall  reign 
with  him  a  thousand  years."  (Rev.  20: 
(3.)  They  are  not  only  to  reign  on  the 
earth  a  thousand  years  after  the  resur- 
rection, hut  in  another  passage  he  says, 
"  They  shall  reign  for  ever  and  tver." 
(Rev.  22:  5.)  Therefore,  all  the  saints 
who  are  ordained  Kings  and  Priests  in 
this  life  will  retain  this  office  and  this 
eternal  power  for  evermore,  being  made 
as  Melchisedec  was,  like  unto  the  Son 
of  God,  they  will  abide  Priests  con- 
tinually. Therefore,  the  Priesthood,  so 
far  as  future  duration  is  concerned,  is 
eternal  and  will  have  no  end. 

Next,  let  us  inquire  whether  the 
Priesthood  had  a  beo-inninc;?  It  is 
quite  evident  that  it  was  "  without  be- 
ginning of  days ;"  but  this  expression 
does  not  prove  that  it  was  absolutely 
without  any  beginning  at  all.  From 
the  fact  that  God  the  Father  must  have 
possessed  the  Priesthood  before  the 
days  of  our  creation,  it  is  reasonable 
to  conclude  that  it  was  of  very  remote 
antiquity.  How  long  the  Father  had 
been  in  possession  of  it,  we  are  not 
able  to  say.  But  we  know,  from  what 
has  already  been  said,  in  the  articles  on 
Celestial  Marriage  and  The  Pre-Ex- 
istence  of  Man,  that  He  never  could 
have  been  exalted  to  the  high  honor 
of  becoming  the  Father  of  Spirits  with- 
out the  Priesthood  ;  therefore  He  must 
have  been  a  Priest  before  He  begat 
Jesus  Christ,  His  First  Porn  who  Avas 
the  oldest  of  all  the  family  of  spirits. 
And  wTe  also  know  that  as  the  family 
of  spirits  are  exceedingly  numerous, 
that  it  must  have  been  many  thousand 
millions  of  years  ago  before  the  birth 
of  His  First  Porn  ;  for  it  would  require 
an  immense  number  of  ages  for  one 
Father  to  have  begotten  so  numerous 
a  family,  as  have  already  come  forth 
from  heaven  and  peopled  our  world. 
But  previous  to  the  birth  of  His  First 
Born,  He  must  have  had  the  Priest- 
hood conferred  upon  Him  preparatory 
to  His  exaltation  and  redemption  from 
the  grave  on  some  ancient  world  of 
which  He  was  an  inhabitant.  But  the 
Being  who   conferred  that  Priesthood 


upon  Him  must  have  possessed  it  Him- 
self. And  thus,  when  we  undertake  to 
trace  back  the  genealogy  of  the  Priest- 
hood, we  find  it  of  necessity  running 
back  from  one  redeemed  world  to  ano- 
ther still  more  ancient ;  and  that  each 
preceding  step  in  the  genealogy  em- 
braces a  period  of  immense  duration. 
Now,  how  many  of  these  vast  periods 
and  succession  of  worlds  have  inter- 
vened between  us  and  the  FIRST 
Being  who  ever  held  the  Priesthood  ? 
We  answer,  that  if  it  can  be  proved 
that  the  Priesthood  is  Eternal  and  had 
no  beginning,  it  will  necessarily  folloAV 
that  there  must  have  been  an  endless 
succession  of  Beings  who  held  it,  or 
else  that  some  Being  must  have  ex- 
isted from  eternity  who  eternally  pos- 
sessed it. 

From  a  revelation  on  the  Priesthood 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  it  will  be  seen 
that  it  had  no  beginning.  The  pro- 
phet Alma  in  speaking  of  this  holy 
calling,  says  it  was  "prepared  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world  for  such  as 
would  not  harden  their  hearts,  being  in 
and  through  the  atonement  of  the 
only  begotten  Son,  who  was  prepared ; 
and  thus  being  called  by  this  holy 
calling,  and  ordained  unto  the  High 
Priesthood  of  the  holy  order  of  God, 
to  teach  His  commandments  unto  the 
children  of  men,  that  they  also  might 
enter  into  His  rest ;  this  High  Priest- 
hood being  after  the  order  of  His  Son, 
which  order  was  from  the  foundation 
of  the  world  ;  or  in  other  words,  being 
without  beginning  of  days  or  end  of 
years,  being  prepared  from  eternity  to 
all  eternity,  according  to  Flis  fore- 
knowledge of  all  things.  Now  they 
were  ordained  after  this  manner :  Being- 
called  with  a  holy  calling,  and  ordain- 
ed with  a  holy  ordinance,  and  taking 
upon  them  the  High  Priesthood  of  the 
holy  order,  which  Calling,  and  Ordi- 
nance, and  High  Priesthood  is  vnthout 
beginning  or  end;  thus  they  became 
High  Priests  forever,  after  the  order  of 
the  Son-^-the  Only  Begotten  of  the 
Father,  who  is  without  beginning  of 
days  or  end  of  years,  who  is  lull  of 
grace,  equity  and  truth."  (Book  of 
Mormon,  Chap.  9 :  6.)  Here  we  are 
expressly  told  that  the   Calling,   and 


POWER  AND  ETERNITY  OF  THE  PRIESTHOOD. 


151 


Ordinance,  and  High  Priesthood  are 
WITHOUT  BEGINNING. 

This  forever  sets  the  matter  at  rest 
among  all  who  believe  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  that  the  Priesthood  not  only 
will  have  an  Eternal  future  duration, 
but  that  it  has  had  also  an  Eternal  past 
•duration :  consequently,  the  Priesthood 
with  the  Calling  and  Ordinance  con- 
nected with  it,  never  had  an  origin: 
and  therefore,  there  never  was  a  period 
in  the  endless  duration  that  is  past  but 
what  some  personage  existed,  holding 
the  Priesthood.  Now  there  must  either 
have  been  some  One  personage  who 
never  had  a  beginning ;  or  else  there 
must  have  been  an  endless  succession 
of  personages ;  for  if  there  ever  were 
a  period  when  a  personage  did  not  ex- 
ist, then  the  Priesthood  could  not  have 
been  in  being,  unless  we  suppose  that 
the  Calling,  Ordinance,  and  Priesthood 
■existed  in  connection  with  unorganized 
materials  which  would  seem  to  be  ab- 
surd. There  is  something  connected 
with  a  personage  that  indicates  design 
in  its  construction.  The  nice  adjust- 
ment, and  skilful  adaptation,  and  ar- 
rangement of  the  several  parts  of  -a 
personage,  indicate  that  some  wise  de- 
signing power  purposely  constructed 
him  with  those  useful  adaptations,  and 
therefore,  that  the  personage  must  have 
had  a  beginning.  If  we  suppose  a  per- 
sonage to  exist  from  all  eternity,  all 
the  beneficial  arrangements  of  the  dif- 
ferent parts  of  his  system  must  exist 
without  any  cause  or  design.  There 
would  not  be  the  least  reason  whatever 
for  his  limbs  being  plaeed  in  the  best 
possible  position  in  the  body :  it  could 
not  be  said  that  the  feet  were  designed- 
ly placed  below  the  ancles,  instead  of 
existing  on  the  top  of  the  head,  or  on 
some  other  part  of  the  body :  it  could 
aiot  be  said  that  the  eyes  were  purpose- 
ly placed  in  the  head,  instead  of  under 
the  arms,  or  at  the  ends  of  the  toes ; 
for  a  personage  that  is  eternal  never 
was  formed,  and  therefore,  there  never 
icould  have  been  any  purpose  or  design 
in  the  arrangement  of  its  parts.  If 
the  eyes  and  ears,  head  and  feet,  nose 
mid  mouth,  hands  and  arms,  are  lo- 
•cated  in  the  best  possible  position  for 
the  benefit  and  happiness  of  the  being, 


be  assured,  that,  if  the  personage  is 
eternal,  these  parts  were  not  thus  hap- 
pily located  by  design.  If  they  were 
designedly  placed  in  these  most  useful 
positions,  then  there  was  a  period  be- 
fore this  design  took  effect  in  perform- 
ing this  skilful  arrangement  of  the 
several  limbs  and  parts  of  the  system ; 
this  therefore,  would  at  once  destroy 
the  eternity  of  the  system  and  prove 
that  it  had  a  beginning.  That  which 
is  eternal  cannot  be  preceded  by  a 
cause  or  design  for  tin- useful  and  bene- 
ficial adjustment  of  its  parts.  There- 
fore, if  some  personage  existed  from  all 
eternity  we  are  compelled  to  renounce 
the  doctrine  of  design,  and  say  that  no 
such  thing  exists  ;  for  if  design  is  not 
manifested  in  the  intricate  and  won- 
derful adaptations  of  the  several  limbs, 
joints,  and  j^arts  of  a  personage,  then 
it  is  not  manifested  in  any  thing,  and 
all  arguments  founded  upon  it  must  be 
entirely  without  foundation.  But  there 
is  no  person,  possessing  a  sane  mind, 
who  will  not,  at  once,  admit  that  pur- 
pose and  design  are  abundantly  mani- 
fested in  all  vegetables,  animals,  and 
personages  upon  our  globe  ;  and  if  this 
really  be  the  fact,  then  design  must 
also  be  manifested  in  the  personages  of 
angels  and  all  higher  ami  Superior 
Beings.  The  nature  of  the  argument 
is  such,  that  if  it  holds  good  in  regard 
to  the  useful  relations  existing  among 
the  different  members  of  one  person- 
age, it  must  necessarily  hold  good  in 
regard  to  all  other  personages  however 
superior  in  their  nature.  Therefore  if 
the  argument  founded  on  design  be 
admissible,  then  all  personages  must 
have  had  a  beginning,  not  excepting 
even  the  glorious  personage  of  God  the 
Father.  If  the  argument  founded  on 
design  proves  that  God  the  Father  and 
all  other  personages  had  a  beginning, 
then  the  only  alternative  left  by  which 
to  support  the  revealed  fact  of  an  end- 
less Priesthood  Avithout  beginning,  is 
the  theory  of  an  end/ess  succession  of 
personages,  each  in  succession  holding 
the  Priesthood.  According  to  this 
theory  there  could  not  be  a  first  Per- 
sonage, nor  a  first  High  Priest,  neither 
could  there  be  an  eternal  Personage 
who   had   no   beginning.      But   each 


152 


CELESTIAL    BfARRrASE. 


person  in  the  endless  succession  would 
have- a  beginning,  and  therefore  would 
exhibit  the  marks  of  design  and  pur- 
pose in  his  construction.  It  will  be 
admitted  by  every  one  that  a  succes- 
sion which  has  no  beginning  cannot 
possibly  have  a  first  term.  The  High 
Priesthood,  therefore,  is  eternal,  without 
beginning,  having  come  down  through 
an  endless  succession  of  worlds,  peo- 
pled by  an  endless  succession  of  inhab- 
itants :  the  Calling  and  Ordinance, 
connected  with  it,  are  eternal  also, 
having  no  beginning. 

As  the  High  Priesthood  had  no  be- 
ginning, we  have  reason  to  believe  that 
the  great  plan  of  redemption  also  had 
no  beginning ;  and  that  the  law  of  the 
Gospel  is  everlasting,  having  been  ad- 
ministered by  an  everlasting  Priest- 
hood in  an  endless  succession  of  worlds 
that  have  fallen.  Where  there  is  no 
change  of  the  Priesthood  we  should 
reasonably  suppose  that  there  would 
be  no  change  of  the  law;  and  that 
where  one  exists,  the  other  exists  also. 


In  receiving  the  gospel,  we  receive- 
that  eternal  plan  that  had  no  origin — 
a  plan  by  which  an  endless  succession 
of  worlds  has  been  redeemed  and  glo- 
rified, and  the  inhabitants  thereof  made 
Kings  and  Priests  to  reign  forever  and 
ever.  And  thus  the  works  of  God 
who  dwells  in  an  infinite  number  of 
tabernacles  and  worlds,  are  one  eternal 
round,  without  beginning,  without  end; 
and  thus  also,  all  who  receive  the  gos- 
pel and  this  eternal  Priesthood,  and 
are  faithful  to  the  end,  and  receive  of 
the  fulness  of  the  Father,  will  be  Gods ; 
for  the  fulness  of  Him  who  is  from 
everlasting  will  dwell  in  them,  and 
they  in  Him ;  and  henceforth  they  can 
proclaim  themselves,  as  not  only  de- 
signed to  be  to  everlasting,  because  they 
continue,  but  also  "from  everlasting" 
because  the  knowledge,,  power,  and 
glory  that  are  in  them,  together  with 
the  Calling,  Ordinance,  and  Priesthood 
which  are  upon  them,  were  from  ever- 
lasting. 

EDITOR. 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE 

{Continued.) 


Love  should  be  the  predominant 
ruling  principle  in  all  family  govern- 
ments. There  is  no  danger  of  the 
different  members  of  a  family  loving 
one  another  too  much.  They  should 
love  one  another  with  all  their  hearts, 
and  be  willing,  if  required,  to  lay  down 
their  lives  for  each  other.  God  is  love, 
and  He  is  the  great  fountain  from 
which  the  beings  of  all  worlds  derive 
this  heavenly  attribute  ;  it  flows  out  in 
infinite  streams,  imparting  joy  and  hap- 
piness to  the  whole  universe,  so  far  as 
it  is  received,  nourished,  and  cherished 
by  intelligent  beings.  Love,  like  all 
other  gifts  of  God,  can  be  cultivated 
and  increased,  or  it  can  be  neglected 
and  diminished :  it  is  subject  to  the 
control  of  the  other  faculties  of  the 
mind :  it  is  not  a  principle  such  as  is 
often  described  in  novels,  which  acts 
irresistably,  forcing  all  the  other  pow- 
ers of  the  mind  into  subjection.     The 


love  which  the  sexe3  have  for  each 
other  is  implanted  within  them  by 
Him  who  is  the  God  of  love.  GoJ 
controls  this  attribute  of  His  nature 
according  to  wisdom,  Justice,  mercy, 
and  every  other  attribute  which  He 
possesses.  He  has  prescribed  laws  for 
the  government  of  His  own  attributes ; 
and  he  never  suffers  himself  to  love 
that  which  is  evil  or  sinful,  but  always 
loves  that  which  is  good,  and  virtuous, 
and  upright :  so  likewise  ought  man  to* 
control  his  love  by  the  attributes  of  his 
nature,  according  to  the  laws  which 
God  has  given,  and  never  suffer  him- 
self to  love  anything  which  is  evil,  or 
which  God  has  forbidden. 

Man  should  love  all  the  wives  which 
God  may  give  him  with  a  perfect  love  : 
it  is  impossible  for  him  to  love  them 
too  Avell,  providing  that  his  love  is- 
regulated  and  controlled  in  all  things- 
according  to  the  law  of  righteousness*. 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


153 


But  can  a  man  love  more  than  one 
wife  with  all  his  heart  ?  Yes ;  he  can 
love  each  one  that  God  gives  him  with 
all  his  heart ;  and  if  he  have  a  hun- 
dred, he  can  love  them  all  with  the 
same  intensity  that  he  would  love  one. 
It  is  true,  he  could  not  give  the  same 
attention  to  a  hundred  that  he  could 
to  one ;  this  would  not  arise  from  the 
want  of  love,  but  it  would  be  from  the 
nature  of  the  circumstances.  If  a  man 
have  a  dozen  children,  he  can  love  each 
one  of  them  as  much  as  he  loves  one ; 
but  he  cannot  pay  the  same  attention 
to  a  plurality  of  children  as  he  could 
to  one;  it  is  not  because  his  love  is 
divided  or  weakened  by  the  numbers, 
but  it  is  because  of  the  circumstances. 
If  God  had  given  a  man  but  one  wife, 
it  would  be  his  duty  to  love  her  with 
all  his  heart ;  and  it  would  not  be  his 
privilege  to  love  any  other  woman  as 
a.  wife.  But  if  God  confers  a  plurality 
of  wives  upon  a  man,  it  would  be  sin- 
ful for  him  not  to  love  each  one  with 
a  perfect  love,  provided  that  they  were 
all  equally  worthy  of  his  love.  God 
loves  the  children  of  men  according  to 
their  works,  or  according  to  the  good 
qualities  which  He  perceives  in  them  : 
those  who  do  the  best  he  loves  the  best : 
if  they  do  equally  well,  He  loves  them 
equally.  Man  should  be  exercised  with 
tin'  same  principle  ;  he  should  judge  in 
righteousness  of  the  good  qualities  and 
desires  of  his  family,  and  should  love 
those  the  best  who  do  the  best.  And 
if  any  of  his  family  err,  he  should  still 
love  them  the  same  as  God  loves  his 
family,  though  they  may  sometimes 
err  and  go  estray.  God  loves  his  fam- 
ily, not  for  their  errors  and  sins,  but 
because  He  sees  that  there  are  good 
qualities  existing  in  them,  and  trys  to 
save  them  from  their  sins;  so  man 
should  love  his  wives,  not  because  of 
their  errors  and  imperfections,  but  be- 
cause God  has  given  them  to  him,  and 
because  they,  in  the  main,  desire  to  do 
right ;  therefore,  he  should  love  them 
and  try  to  save  them  from  their  errors  ; 
and  he  should  never  love  one.  more  than 
another,  unless  they  merit  it. 

As  the  man  stands  at  the  head  of 
the  family,  it  is  his  duty  to  seek  dili- 
gently for  wisdom,  to  know  how  to 


govern  his  family  according  to  the  will 
of  God.  Circumstances  may  some- 
times be  such  that  he  may  bestow  his 
attentions  for  a  time  more  abundantly 
upon  certain  portions  of  his  family  than 
upon  others ;  this  may  arise,  not  from 
any  partiality  or  superior  love  which 
he  has  for  one  above  that  of  another, 
but  his  judgment  or  the  surrounding 
circumstances  may  dictate  this  to  be 
the  wisest  course.  At  another -time, 
he  may,  perhaps,  reverse  his  attentions, 
and  be  apparently  partial  towards  those 
whom  he  had  seemed  for  a  while  to 
neglect.  In  all  these  thing's,  a  husband 
should  be  guided  by  his  own  judgment, 
enlightened  by  the  Spirit  of  Truth. 
And  in  these  things  he  should  have 
no  rigid  fixed  laws,  tmalterable,  like 
those  of  the  Medes  and  Persians.  So 
far  as  the  great  principles  of  righteous- 
ness are  concerned,  he  should  be  fixed 
and  immovable ;  but,  in  regard  to  his 
conduct  in  his  temporal  affairs,  and  in 
his  domestic  concerns,  he  should  pre- 
scribe no  rules  that  will  compel  him  to 
act  invariably  in  a  certain  way :  this 
should  be  left  for  circumstances  and 
the  wisdom  he  has,  to  dictate  and  con- 
trol ;  and  both  wives  and  children 
should  be  perfectly  satisfied  to  have 
the  head  of  the  family  be  in  reality 
the  head,  and  do  as  seemeth  to  him 
good ;  and,  as  we  have  already  stated, 
if  the  head  of  the  family  errs  in  some 
respects,  it  is  better  to  yield  to  his  will 
than  to  arise  in  rebellion  against  the 
order  of  family  government  which  God 
has  established.  If  too  much  partiality 
be  used,  and  any  flagrant  violations  of 
the  principles  of  right  occur,  there  are 
other  authorities  who  can  regulate  the 
husband ;  for  this  is  not  the  province 
of  the  wives  and  children  ;  it  is  not  for 
them  to  dictate  to  the  head,  but  to 
pray  for  and  administer  to  the  head, 
that,  perad venture,  through  their  kind- 
ness and  meekness,  and  willing  obe- 
dience, the  head  may  be  influenced  to 
do  right.  Mutual  love  should  exist 
between  a  husband  and  his  wives ;  for, 
without  this,  God's  order  of  family 
government  cannot  be  maintained. 

But  can  several  wives  love  one  and 
the  same  man  as  their  husband  ?  Yes, 
if  he  treat  them  in  a  way  to  merit  their 


154 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


confidence  and  love.  There  is  no  more 
difficulty  in  several  women  loving  one 
husband  than  there  is  in  several  per- 
sons loving  our  Lord  and  Saviour.  God 
is  the  Author  of  sexual  or  conjugal 
love,  the  same  as  He  is  of  all  other 
kinds  of  pure  love ;  and  if  He  unites 
several  women  to  one  man  in  the  sa- 
cred bonds  of  matrimony,  it  is  their 
duty  to  cultivate  and  increase  the 
heavenly  principle  of  pure  love  to  their 
husband,  until  they  love  him  with  all 
their  hearts,  even  as  they  love  God ; 
and  he  should  love  them  in  return, 
even  as  he  loves  God.  There  is  no 
evil  in  love ;  but  there  is  much  evil 
resulting  from  the  want  of  love.  No 
woman  should  be  united  in  marriage 
with  a  man  unless  she  have  some  love 
for  him  ;  and  if  she  love  him  in  a  small 
degree,  this  is  capable  of  being  in- 
creased to  perfection.  Any  woman 
who  loves  righteousness  can  and  does 
love  a  man  who  works  righteousness ; 
and  she  can,  by  cultivating  this  love, 
be  happy  in  his  society,  as  a  friend  and 
as  a  brother ;  and  if  she  were  united 
to  him  in  marriage,  she  could  love  him 
as  a  husband ;  and  if  he  were  worthy, 
her  love  towards  him  may  be  increased 
until  the  perfect  day.  So  it  is  with 
man.  There  is  not  a  righteous  good 
woman  in  the  Church  of  God  but  what 
a  righteous  man  loves  as  a  friend  and 
a  sister;  and  if  he  were  lawfully  united 
to  her  in  marriage,  he  could  love  her 
as  a  wife  ;  and  this  love,  by  cultiva- 
tion and  mutual  kindness,  would  grow 
stronger  and  stronger,  until  they  were 
perfected  in  love. 

But  cannot  a  woman  love  many  men 
as  well  as  for  a  man  to  love  many  wives  ? 
We  answer,  that  love  is  under  the  con- 
trol of  both  the  sexes  ;  they  are  agents 
in  the  cultivation  and  exercise  of  this 
affection,  as  in  the  cultivation  and  ex- 
ercise of  all  the  other  attributes  of  their 
nature.  A  man  has  no  right  to  love 
any  woman  as  a  wife  unless  God  shall 
give  her  to  him  in  marriage ;  he  has 
power,  as  an  agent,  to  limit  his  love 
where  God  limits  it ;  and  if  he  go 
beyond  those  limits  he  transgresses. 
So  likewise  a  woman  is  limited  by  the 
law  of  God  to  one  husband ;  and  she 
has  no  right  to  suffer  her  love  to  a;o 


beyond  those  limits.  Her  love  is  un- 
der the  control  of  her  agency,  and  it 
must  be  confined  where  the  law  of  God 
confines  it,  otherwise  there  is  transgres- 
sion. A  man  loves  many  wives  be- 
cause God  gives  him  many ;  and  he  is 
required  to  love  them,  or  become  a 
transgressor.  If  God  required  a  woman 
to  have  many  husbands,  or  permitted 
her  to  have  a  plurality,  it  would  then 
be  her  duty  to  cultivate  the  principle 
of  love  towards  them  all;  but  this 
would  not  be  an  easy  task,  unless  the 
woman  were  ntade  the  head  of  the 
family ;  for  one  cannot  serve  two  mas- 
ters. And,  as  the  husband  stands  as 
the  master  of  the  house,  if  a  woman 
had  two  husbands  or  masters,  she 
would  be  sure,  according  to  the  words 
of  Christ,  "to  hate  the  one  and  love 
the  other,"  for  no  one  can  love  and 
serve  two  masters ;  but  two  can  love 
one  master ;  yes,  a  hundred  wives  can 
love  one  master  or  husband,  for  he  is 
their  head,  even  as  Christ  is  the  great 
Master  and  Head  of  the  Church.  As 
Christ  is  one,  and  is  the  Great  Bride- 
groom, being  married  unto  many,  so 
likewise  the  man,  being  one  husband, 
one  bridegroom,  may  be  married  unto 
many.  As  the  bride  of  Christ  con- 
sists of  a  plurality  of  persons,  so  the 
bride  of  each  of  his  faithful  servants 
may  consist  of  a  plurality  of  individu- 
als. The  bride  of  Christ,  though  a 
plurality  of  persons,  should  be  one  in 
spirit,  in  love,  and  in  good  works ;  so 
likewise  the  bride  of  each  of  his  ser- 
vants, however  many  persons,  should 
be  perfectly  one  in  their  love  and  union 
of  spirit. 

What  can  be  more  heavenly  and 
God-like  than  to  see  a  well  regulated 
family,  governed  in  wisdom  and  right- 
eousness !  It  is  the  commencement  of 
heaven  on  earth  ! — it  is  an  organization 
destined  to  be  eternal !  The  first  born 
is  represented  in  Scripture  as  the  be- 
ginning of  one's  strength  ;  how  much 
greater  will  be  his  strength  when  he 
has  a  great  number  of  wives  and  chil- 
dren !  A  foundation  is  then  laid  for  a 
patriarchal  kingdom,  which  shall  in- 
crease in  numbers  without  end,  over 
which  he  will  reign  forever.  How 
great  reason  has  such  a  man  to  rejoice  ! 


CFXESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


155 


How  thankful  ought  lie  to  be  for  the 
wives  which  God  has  given  him, 
through  whom  he  can  multiply  his 
seed  as  the  stars  of  heaven !  What 
joy  and  happiness  it  must  give  him  to 
love  so  numerous  a  family,  and  to  know 
that  he  is  loved  by  them  in  return  ! 

Love  is  a  principle,  like  knowledge, 
which  can  be  imparted  without  dimin- 
ishing the  fountain  from  which  it  ema- 
nates. Love,  in  other  words,  begets 
love.  We  love  that  which  is  congenial 
to  our  minds  ;  if  we  love  purity  and 
virtue  in  ourselves,  we  will  love  them 
in  others  ;  and  when  it  is  known  by 
others  that  we  love  them,  because  of 
their  virtue  and  goodness,  they  will 
love  us  for  like  reasons ;  thus  love, 
when  founded  upon  true  principle,  is 
reciprocal.  Virtue  loveth  virtue,  truth 
embraceth  truth,  knowledge  cleaveth 
unto  knowledge ;  every  good  and 
heavenly  attribute  of  our  own  nature 
Ave  love  when  we  see  the  same  mani- 
fested by  other  beings.  We  love  these 
virtues  in  either  men  or  women.  Sex- 
ual love,  without  the  accompanying 
virtues,  is  not  to  be  indulged,  as  it  leads 
to  evil.  God  has  ordained  that  pure 
and  virtuous  love  should  be  incorpor- 
ated with  sexual  love ;  that,  by  the 
combination  of  the  two,  permanent 
unions  in  the  marriage  covenant  may 
be  formed,  and  the  species  be  multi- 
plied in  righteousness.  Pure  and  vir- 
tuous love  should  always  exist  between 
a  husband  and  each  of  his  wives,  as 
well  as  sexual  love :  this  will  have  a 
tendency  to  impress  more  permanently 
mind  these  heavenly  principles  upon  the 
and  constitution  of  the  offspring;  for 
the  offspring  will  partake,  in  a  greater 
or  less  degree,  of  the  propensities  and 
affections  of  the  parents.  How  care- 
ful, then,  ought  the  parents  to  be,  lest 
they  impress  a  disposition  and  tend- 
ency in  the  offspring  that  are  calcu- 
lated, if  not  strongly  guarded,  to  ruin 
and  destroy  them  as  they  grow  up  to 
act  for  themselves.  God  will  hold 
parents  accountable  for  these  things, 
because  they  are  principles  over  which 
the}r,  as  agents,  have  control.  Every 
good  principle  which  you  would  have 
your  children  inherit,  should  be  pre- 
dominant and  reigu  in  your  own  bos- 


oms ;  for,  though  the  spirits  are  pure 
and  heavenly  when  they  enter  the  in- 
fant tabernacle,  yet  they  are  extremely 
susceptible  of  influences  either  for  good 
or  for  bad.  The  state  of  the  parents' 
minds  at  the  time  of  conception,  and 
the  state  of  the  mother's  mind  during 
her  pregnancy,  will  be  constitutionally 
impressed  upon  the  offspring,  bringing 
with  it  consequences  which,  in  a  de- 
gree, have  a  bearing  upon  the  future 
destiny  of  the  child. 

Love,  with  all  the  other  virtues, 
should  predominate  in  the  bosoms  of 
parents,  in  order  that  the  same  virtues 
may  be  inherited  by  the  children.  They 
should  be  infused  into  the  very  consti- 
tution of  the  child  when  in  embryo  ; 
they  should  be  instilled  into  the  mind 
from  infancy  to  manhood,  that  they 
may  become  incorporated  as  fixed  and 
immovable  principles  in  the  mind  of 
man,  governing  and  controlling  all  the 
future  actions  of  his  life.  In  such 
children  parents  will  have  joy :  they 
will  be  the  strength  of  their  patriarchal 
government;  the  honor  and  crow  iw  of 
their  old  age ;  their  hope  and  glory  in 
the  resurrection ;  their  foundation  of 
an  endless  increase  of  kingdoms  over 
whom  they  will  reigu  forever,  and  with 
whom  they  will  be  associated  as  God's 
throughout  the  endless  ages  of  eternhy. 

Instead  of  a  plurality  of  wives  being 
a  cause  of  sorrow  to  females,  it  is  one 
of  the  greatest  blessings  of  the  last 
dispensation :  it  gives  them  the  great 
privilege  of  beino-  united  to  a  right- 
eons  man,  and  of  rearing  a  family  ac- 
cording to  the  order  of  heaven.  In- 
stead of  being  compelled  to  remain 
single,  or  marry  a  wicked  man  who 
will  ruin  her  and  her  oft'spring,  she 
can  enter  a  family  where  peace  and 
salvation  reign;  where  righteousness 
abounds ;  where  the  head  of  the  fam- 
ily stands  forth  as  a  patriarch,  a  prince, 
and  a  saviour  to  his  whole  household ; 
where  blessings  unspeakable  and  eter- 
nal are  sealed  upon  them  and  their 
generations  after  them;  her  glory  is 
eternal  and  her  joy  is  full.  Rejoice, 
then,  ye  daughters  of  Zion,  that  you 
live  in  this  glorious  era !  Rejoice  for 
yourselves  and  for  your  generations, 
because  of  the  high  honors  and  privi- 


156 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


legos  conferred  upon  you !  Rejoice 
that  you  have  entered  into  blessings 
which  have  been  withheld  for  many 
ages  past  because  of  wickedness  !  Re- 
joice and  sing  for  gladness  of  heart  in 
the  glorious  prospects  which  open  be- 
fore you !  Rejoice  in  the  mountains 
and  dales  of  Utah !  for  it  is  the  land 
of  your  freedom,  where  the  iron  yoke 
of  Romish  and  Protestant  superstitions 
will  be  broken  from  your  necks  ;  where 
you  will  have  the  privilege  of  uniting 
your  eternal  destiny  with  the  man  of 
your  choice ;  where  virtue  will  reign 
triumphant,  and  the  vile  seducer  be 
unknown  ;  where  confidence  shall  wax 
stronger  and  stronger,  being  cemented 
by  the  love  of  God !  Happy  are  the 
daughters  of  Zion !  They  would  not 
exchange  their  condition  with  the 
queens  of  the  earth  !  Worldly  honors 
and  worldly  riches  are  not  worthy  to 
be  compared  with  the  blessings  that 
they  enjoy  !  They  love  their  husbands, 
and  their  husbands  love  them ;  and 
this  love  is  far  greater  than  the  love 
which  dwells  in  the  hearts  of  the 
wicked.  The  children  of  Zion  love 
in  proportion  to  the  heavenly  knowl- 
edge which  they  have  received ;  for 
love  keeps  pace  with  knowledge,  and 
as  the  one  increases  so  does  the  other ; 
and  when  knowledge  is  perfected,  love 
will  be  perfected  also.  The  wicked 
are  not  capable  of  loving  in  as  great 
a  degree  as  the  righteous,  because  they 
are  destitute  of  the  knowledge  of  God, 
and  do  not  appreciate  wives  or  chil- 
dren as  they  ought.  They  do  not 
fully  realize  the  end  and  purpose  of 
of  the  Almighty  in  joining  the  sexes 
in  holy  matrimony ;  and  without  a 
knowledge  of  these  things  they  can- 
not love  as  the  righteous ;  for  love  is 
of  God,  and  they  who  live  nearest  to 
the  Lord  will  love  most ;  and  they 
who  love  most  will  be  the  most  happy. 
If  we  should  inquire  what  consti- 
tutes the  misery  of  the  fallen  angels, 
the  answer  would  be,  they  are  desti- 
tute of  love  ;  they  have  ceased  to  love 
God ;  they  have  ceased  to  have  pure 
love  one  towards  another ;  they  have 
ceased  to  love  that  which  is  good. 
Hatred,  malice,  revenge,  and  every 
evil  passion  have  usurped  the  place  of 


love ;  and  unhappiness,  wretchedness, 
and  misery,  are  the  results.  Where 
there  is  no  love,  there  will  be  no  desire 
to  promote  the  welfare  of  others.  In- 
stead of  desiring  that  others  may  be 
happy,  each  desires  to  make  all  others 
miserable  like  himself;  each  seeks  to 
gratify  that  hellish  disposition  against 
the  Almighty  which  arises  from  his 
extreme  hatred  of  that  Avhich  is  good. 
For  the  want  of  love  the  torment  of 
each  is  complete.  All  the  wicked  who 
are  entirely  overcome  by  these  ma- 
licious spirits  will  have  the  heavenly 
principle  of  love  wholly  irradicated 
from  their  minds,  and  they  will  become 
angels  to  these  infernal  fiends,  being 
captivated  by  them,  and  compelled  to 
act  as  they  act.  They  cannot  extri- 
cate themselves  from  their  power,  nor 
ward  off  the  fiery  darts  of  their  ma- 
licious tormentors.  Such  will  be  the 
condition  of  all  beings  who  entirely 
withdraw  themselves  from  the  love  of 
God.  As  love  decreases,  wickedness, 
hatred,  and  misery  increases ;  and  the 
more  wicked  individuals  or  nations  be- 
come, the  less  capable  are  they  of  lov- 
ing others  and  making  them  happy ; 
and  vice  versa,  the  more  righteous  a 
people  become  the  more  they  are  quali- 
fied for  loving  others  and  rendering 
them  happy.  A  wicked  man  can  have 
but  little  love  for  his  wife ;  while  a 
righteous  man,  being  filled  with  the 
love  of  God,  is  sure  to  manifest  this 
heavenly  attribute  in  every  thought 
and  feeling  of  his  heart,  and  in  every 
word  and  deed.  Love,  joy,  and  inno- 
cence will  radiate  from  his  very  counte- 
nance, and  be  expressed  in  every  look. 
This  will  beget  confidence  in  the  wife 
of  his  bosom,  and  she  will  love  him 
in  return;  for  love  begets  love;  hap- 
piness imparts  happiness ;  and  these 
heaven-born  emotions  will  continue  to 
increase  more  and  more,  until  they  are 
perfected  and  glorified  in  all  the  ful- 
ness of  eternal  love  itself. 

Could  wicked  and  malicious  beings, 
who  have  irradicated  every  feeling  of 
love  from  their  bosoms,  be  permitted 
to  propagate  their  species,  the  offspring 
would  partake  of  all  the  evil,  wicked, 
and  malicious  nature  of  their  parents. 
However   pure   the  spirits  might  be, 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


157 


■when  permitted  to  enter  such  degraded 
tabernacles,  yet,  being  extremely  sus- 
ceptible   to    influences,    they    ■would 
speedily  partake  of  all  the  evil  nature 
"which  characterized  the  spirits  of  the 
father   and  mother :  thus  they  would 
soon  become  devils  incarnated  in  flesh 
and  bones.     Such  would  be  the  dread- 
ful consequences  of  offspring,  brought 
into  existence  by  parents  destitute  of 
the  principles   of  love,  like  the  fallen 
angels.     The   same  consequences,  to  a 
certain   degree,  would  result  from  the 
multiplication   of  wicked  parents.     In 
proportion  as  the  pure  love  of  God  is 
irradiated  from   their  hearts,   the  un- 
holy passions  take  the  place  thereof, 
and  the  offspring  partake  of  these  un- 
lovely principles  which  are  engendered 
in  the  nature  and  constitution  of  the 
infant    tabernacle,    and    begin    to   act 
upon  the  pure  spirit  that  takes  up  its 
abode  therein,  forming,  modifying,  and 
and  bending,  in   a  great  measure,  its 
inclinations,  until,  by  the  time  that  it 
grows  up   to  know  good  from  evil,  it 
becomes  prepared  to  plunge  headlong 
into  all  the  vices  of  its  ungodly  pa- 
rents :   thus  the  parents,  for  the  want 
of  that  holy  and  pure  affection  which 
exists  in   the  bosom  of  the  righteous, 
not  only  destroy  their  own  happiness, 
but  impress  their  own  degraded  and 
unlovely  passions   upon   the    constitu- 
tion of  their  offspring.     It  is  for  this 
reason  that  God  will   not  permit  the 
fallen  angels  to  multiply :   it  is  for  this 
reason  that  God  has  ordained  marri- 
ages for  the  righteous  only  :  it  is  for 
this  reason  that  God  will  put  a  final 
stop  to  the  multiplication  of  the  wick- 
ed after  this  life,,  it  is  for  this  reason 
that   none  but  those  who  have  kept 
the  celestial  law  will  be  permitted  to 
multiply  after  the  resurrection :   it  is 
for  this  reason  that  God  has  ordained 
that  the  righteous  shall  have  a  plural- 
ity of  wives  ;   for  they  alone   are  pre- 
pared to  beget  and  bring  forth  offspring 
whose  bodies  and  spirits,  partaking  of 
the  nature  of  the  parents,  are  pure  and 
lovely,  and  will  manifest,  as   they  in- 
crease In  years,  those  heaven-born  ex- 
cellencies so  necessary  to  lead  them  to 
happiness  and  eternal  life.  7*. 


The  Celestial  male  and  female,  after 
the  resurrection,  will  be  perfected  in 
knowledge,  and  in  holiness,  and  in 
pure  affection  and  love:  they  will 
know  as  God  knows ;  be  pure  as  He 
is  pure,  and  love  as  He  loves:  their 
knowledge,  their  purity,  and  their  af- 
fections, before  their  celestial  glorifica- 
tion, will  increase  alike,  and  keep  pace 
with  each  other,  until  they  are  per- 
fected, when  they  will  enjoy  in  fulness 
every  attribute  and  affection  which 
God  himself  enjoys,  and  will  be  like 
Him  in  all  these  tilings.  Then,  and 
not  till  then,  will  they  be  permitted  to 
propagate  that  higher  order  of  beings 
called  spirits.  As  the  character  of 
parents  in  this  life  is  impressed,  in  a 
great  measure,  upon  their  children,  so 
likewise  the  character  of  the  celestial 
parents  will  be  incorporated  in  the 
very  being  of  their  spirit  offspring. 
The  unorganized  spirit-matter  will  not 
only  take  the  form  or  image  of  the 
celestial  parents,  but  every  particle 
thereof  will  begin  to  develope  the 
germs  of  all  those  eternal  attributes 
which  dwell  in  all  their  fulness  in 
both  father  and  mother. 

If  beings  who  are  not  perfected 
should  have  the  privilege  of  propa- 
gating a  spirit  offspring,  they  could 
not  impress  the  organized  spirit  em- 
bryo with  the  elements  of  those  higher 
attributes  which  appertain  to  the  celes- 
tial ;  and,  consequently,  if  the  germ 
of  the  infant  spirit  were  conceived  and 
fashioned  in  imperfection,  the  super- 
structure or  infant  spirit  itself  could 
never  advance  to  perfection.  The  eter- 
nal attributes  must  be  properly  devel- 
oped, in  order  that  they  may  be  prop- 
erly perfected ;  this  is  the  reason  why 
none  but  those  who  attain  to  the  ful- 
ness of  celestial  glory,  and  become 
God's,  will  be  entrusted  with  wives, 
and  with  power  to  propagate  sons  and 
daughters  ;  that  this,  the  most  import- 
ant of  all  things — the  organizatian  of 
immortal  spirits,  may  be  brought  about 
through  the  highest,  and  most  exalted, 
and  most  glorious  personages  in  the 
universe,  that  they  may  infuse  into  the 
very  constitution  of  their  beloved  chil- 
dren the  germs  of  all  the  great,  and 


158 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


pure,  and  sublime  attributes  which  are 
perfected  in  all  their  fulness  in  them- 
selves. 

If  none  but  Gods  will  be  permitted 
to  multiply  immortal  children,  it  fol- 
lows that  each  God  must  have  one  or 
more  wives.  God,  the  Father  of  our 
spirits,  became  the  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  according-  to  the  flesh. 
Hence,  the  Father  saith  concerning 
him,  "  Thou  art  my  Son,  this  day  have 
I  begotten  thee."  We  are  informed  in 
the  first  chapter  of  Luke,  that  Mary 
was  chosen  by  the  Father  as  a  choice 
virgin,  through  whom  He  begat  Jesus. 
The  angel  said  unto  the  Virgin  Mary, 
"The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon 
thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Llighest 
shall  overshadow  thee  :  therefore,  also, 
that  holy  thing  which  shall  be  born  of 
thee  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God." 
After  the  power  of  the  Highest  had' 
overshadowed  Mary,  and  she  had  by 
that  means  conceived,  she  related  the 
circumstance  to  her  cousin  Elizabeth 
in  the  following  words :  '•  He  that  is 
Mighty  hath  done  to  me  great  things ; 
and  holy  is  His  name1"  It  seems  from 
this  relation  that  the  Holy  Ghost  ac- 
companied "the  Highest"  when  He 
overshadowed  the  Virgin  Mary  and 
begat  Jesus ;  and  from  this  circum- 
stance some  have  supposed  that  the 
body  of  Jesus  was  begotten  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  without  the  instrumental- 
ity of  the  immediate  presence  of  the 
Father.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  came  upon  Mary  to  sanc- 
tify her,  and  make  her  holy,  and  pre- 
pare her  to  endure  the  glorious  presence 
of  "the  Highest,"  that  when  "He" 
should  "overshadow"  her  she  might 
conceive,  being  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost ;  henee  the  angel  said,  as  re- 
corded in  Matthew,  "That  which  is 
conceived  in  her  is  of  the  Holy  Ghost;" 
that  is,  the  Holy  Ghost  gave  her 
strength  to  abide  the  presence  of  the 
Father  without  being  consumed ;  but 
it  was  the  personage  of  the  Father 
who  begat  the  body  of  Jesus ;  and 
for  this  reason  Jesus  is  called  "the 
Only  Begotten  of  the  Father;"  that 
is,  the  only  one  in  this  world  whose 
fleshly  body  was  begotten  by  the 
Father.     There   were  millions  of  sons 


and  daughters  whom  He  beo-at  before 
the  foundation  of  this  world,  but  they 
were  spirits,  and  not  bodies  of  flesh 
and  bones ;  whereas,  both  the  sjurit 
and  body,  of  Jesus  were  begotten  by 
the  Father — the  spirit  having  been 
begotten  in  heaven  many  ages  before 
the  tabernacle  was  begotten  upon  the 
earth. 

The  fleshly  body  of  Jesus  required 
a  Mother  as  well  as  a  Father.  There- 
fore, the  Father  and  Mother  of  Jesus, 
according  to  the  flesh,  must  have  been 
associated  together  in  the  capacity  of 
Husband  and  Wife  ;  hence  the  Virgin 
Mary  must  have  been,  for  the  time 
being,  the  lawful  wife  of  God  the 
Father  :  we  use  the  term  lawful  Wife, 
because  it  would  be  blasphemous  in 
the  highest  degree  to  say  that  He 
overshadowed  her  or  begat  the  Saviour 
unlaw fulh'.  It  would  have  been  un- 
lawful for  any  man  to  have  interfered 
with  Mary,  who  was  already  espoused 
to  Joseph ;  for  such  a  heinous  crime 
would  have  subjected  both  the  guilty 
parties  to  death,  according  to  the  law 
of  Moses.  But  God  having  created 
all  men  and  women,  had  the  most  per- 
fect right  to  do  with  His  own  creation, 
according  to  His  holy  will  and  pleasure : 
He  had  a  lawful  right  to  overshadow 
the  Virgin  Marvin  the  capacity  of. a 
husband,  and  beget  a  Son,  although 
she  was  espoused  to  another ;  for  the 
law  which  lie  gave  to  govern  men 
and  women  was  not  intended  to  gov- 
ern Himself,  or  to  prescribe  rules  for 
his  own  conduct.  It  was  also  lawful 
in  Him,  after  having  thus  dealt  with 
Mary,  to  give  her  to  Joseph  her  es- 
poused husband.  Whether  God  the 
Father  gave  Mary  to  Joseph  for  time 
only,  or  for  time  and  eternity,  we  are 
not  informed.  Inasmuch  as  God  was 
the  first  husband  to  her,  it  may  be  that 
He  only  gave  her  to  be  the  Avife  of 
Joseph  while  in  this  mortal  state,  and 
that  He  intended  after  the  resurrection 
to  again  take  her  as  one  of  his  own 
wives  to  raise  up  immortal  spirits  in 
eternity. 

As  God  the  Father  begat  the  fleshly 
body  of  Jesus,  so  He,  before  the  world 
began,  begat  his  spirit.  As  the  body 
required   an   earthly   Mother,   so    his 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


159 


spirit  required  a  heavenly  Mother.  As 
God  'associated  in  the  capacity  of  a 
husband  with  the  earthly  mother,  so 
likewise  He  associated  in  the  same  ca- 
pacity with  the  heavenly  one.  Earthly 
things  being  in  the  likeness  of  heavenly 
things;  and  that  which  is  temporal 
being  in  the  likeness  of  that  which  is 
eternal ;  or,  in  other  words,  the  laws 
of  generation  upon  the  earth  are  after 
the  order  of  the  laws  of  generation  in 
heaven.  But  if  we  have  a  heavenly 
Mother  as  well  as  a  heavenly  Father, 
is  it  not  right  that  we  should  worship 
the  Mother  of  our  spirits  as  well  as  the 
Father  \  No ;  for  the  Father  of  our 
spirits  is  at  the  head  of  His  household, 
and  His  wives  and  children  are  re- 
quired to  yield  the  most  perfect  obe- 
dience to  their  great  Head.  It  is  law- 
ful for  the  children  to  worship  the  King 
of  Heaven,  but  not  the  "Queen  of 
heaven."  The  children  of  Israel  were 
severely  reproved  for  making  offerings 
to  the  "  Queen  of  heaven."  Although 
she  is  highly  exalted  and  honored  as 
the  beloved  bride  of  the  great  King, 
yet  the  children,  so  far  as  we  are  in- 
formed, have  never  been  commanded 
to  pray  to  her  or  worship  her.  Jesus 
prayed  to  His  Father,  and  taught  His 
disciples  to  do  likewise ;  but  we  are 
nowhere  taught  that  Jesus  prayed  to 
His  heavenly  Mother :  neither  did  he 
pray  to  the  Holy  Ghost  as  his  Father. 
If  He  were  begotten  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  then  He  would  have  called  him 
His  Father ;  but,  instead  of  doing  so, 
the  Holy  Ghost  himself  was  subject 
unto  Jesus  ;  and  He  had  power  to  send 
him  as  His  minister  after  he  returned 
to  his  Father. 

Next  let  us  enquire  whether  there 
are  any  intimations  in  Scripture'  con- 
cerning the  wives  of  Jesus.  We  have 
already,  in  the  9th  No.  of  this  volume, 
spoken  of  the  endless  increase  of 
Christ's  government.  Now,  we  have 
no  reason  to  suppose  that  this  increase 
would  continue,  unless  through  the 
laws  of  generation,  whereby  Jesus, 
like  His  Father,  should  become  the 
Father  of  spirits ;  and,  in  order  to  be- 
come the  Father  of  spirits,  or,  as  Isaiah 
says,  "  The  Everlasting  Father,"  it  is 
necessary  that  He  should  have  one  or 


more  wives  by  whom  lie  could  multi- 
ply His  seed,  not  for  any  limited  period 
of  time,  but  forever  and  ever  :  thus  He 
truly  would  he  a  Father  everlasti n ghj, 
according  to  the  name  which  was  to 
be  given  Him.  The  Evangelists  do 
not  particularly  speak  of  the  marriage 
of  Jesus;  but  this  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at,  for  St.  John  says  :  "  There  are  also 
many  other  things  which  Jesus  did, 
iln'  which,  if  they  should  be  written 
every  one,  I  suppose  that  even  the 
world  itself  could  not  contain  the  books 
that  should  be  written."  (John  21  : 
25.)  One  thing  is  certain,  that  there 
were  several  holy  women  that  greatly 
\o\  ed  Jesus — such  as  Mary,  and  Martha 
her  sister,  and  Mary  Magdalene;  and 
Jesus  greatly  loved  them,  and  associated 
with  them  much  ;  and  when  He  arose 
from  the  dead,  instead  of  first  showing 
Himself  to  His  chosen  witnesses,  the 
Apostles,  He  appeared  first  to  these 
women,  or  at  least  to  one  of  them — 
namely,  Mary  Magdalene.  Now,  it 
would  be  very  natural  for  a  husband 
in  the  resurrection  to  appear  first  to 
his  own  dear  wives,  and  afterwards 
show  himself  to  his  other  friends.  If 
all  the  acts  of  Jesus  were  written,  we 
no  doubt  should  learn  that  these  be- 
loved women  were  his  wives.  Indeed, 
the  Psalmist,  David,  prophesies  in 
particular  concerning  the  Wives  of  the 
Son  of  God.  We  quote  from  the  Eng- 
lish version  of  the  Bible,  translated 
about  three  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago :  "  All  thy  garments  smell  of 
myrrh,  and  aloes,  and  cassia :  when 
thou  contest  out  of  the  ivory  palaces, 
inhere  they  have  made  thee  glad,  Kings'1 
daughters  were  among  thine  honorable 
WIVES :  upon  thy  right  hand  did 
stand  the  QUEEN  in  a  vesture  of  gold 
of  Ophir?  (Psalm  45:8,  9.)  That 
this  passage  has  express  reference  to 
the  Son  of  God  and  His  Wives,  will 
be  seen  by  reading' the  sixth  and  sev- 
enth verses  which  are  as  follows : 
"Thy  throne,  O  God,  is  forever  and 
ever :  the  sceptre  of  thy  kingdom  is  a 
right  sceptre.  Thou  lovest  righteous- 
ness, and  hatest  wickedness :  therefore 
God,  thy  God,  hath  annointed  thee 
with  the  oil  of  gladness  above  thy 
fellows."    This  Being:,  whom  the  Psalm- 


160 


NOTICE. 


ist  here  calls  God,  is  represented  in  the  [  orahle  Wives."     King  James'  transla- 


next  verses  as  having-  "honorable 
Wives,"  If  any  should  still  doubt 
whether  this  prophecy  has  reference 
to  the  Son  of  God,  they  may  satisfy 
themselves  by  reading  Paul's  applica- 
tion of  these  passages  in  the  eighth 
and  ninth  verses  of  the  first  chapter 
of  his  epistle  to  the  Hebrews :  "  But 
unto  the  Son  He  saith,  Thy  throne,  0 
God,  is  forever  and  ever ;  a  sceptre  of 
righteousness  is  the  sceptre  of  thy 
kingdom.  Thou  hast  loved  righteous- 
ness and  hated  iniquity ;  therefore  God, 
even  thy  God,  hath  annointed  thee 
■with  the  oil  of  gladness  above  thy 
fellows."  Paul  applies  the  words  of 
the  prophet  David  to  the  son  of  God, 
to  the  annointed  Messiah,  who  is 
called  God,  and  whose  "throne  is 
forever  and  ever."  Let  it  be  remem- 
bered, then,  that  the  Son  of  God  is 
expressly  represented  as  having  "  hon- 


tors  were  not  willing  that  this  passage 
should  have  a  literal  translation,  ac- 
cording to  the  former  English  render- 
ing, lest  it  should  give  countenance  to 
Polygamy ;  therefore  they  altered  the 
translation  to  honorable  women  instead 
of  wives;  but  any  person  acquainted 
with  the  original  can  see  that  the  first 
translators  have  given  the  true  render- 
ing of  that  passage.  Indeed,  the  very 
next  sentence  most  clearly  demon- 
strates this ;  for  the  Son  of  God  is 
represented  as  having  a  "QUEEN" 
standing  upon  His  right  hand,  clothed 
"  in  a  vesture  of  gold."  This  Queen 
is  exhorted  in  the  followino;  endearing; 
language  ;  "  Hearken,  O  daughter,  and 
consider,  and  incline  thine  ear ;  forget 
also  thine  own  people,  and  thy  father's 
house ;  so  shall  the  King  greatly  de- 
sire thy  beauty,  for  he  is  thy  Lord ;  and 
worship  thou  Him."     (Verses  10,  11.) 


{To  be  continued.) 


NOTICE. 

The  SEER  will  be  continued  for  the  year  1854,  on  the  same  terms  as  the 
first  volume.  AW  those  who  wish  to  become  subscribers  for  the  second  vol- 
ume should  send  in  their  names,  address,  and  subscription  money  without  de- 
lay, as  we  desire  to  know  immediately  about  how  many  copies  of  the  first 
number  to  publish,  that  we  may  not  be  under  the  necessity  of  issuing,  at  much 
expense,  a  second  edition  to  supply  their  demands.  Our  subscribers  for  the 
first  volume  need  not  expect  to  receive  the  second  without  complying  with  the 
terms  of  advance  payment.  Should  any  of  our  subscribers  wish  to  emigrate 
to  Utah  next  season,  they  can,  by  notifying  us  of  their  intentions,  receive  the 
balance  of  their  numbers  in  that  Territory  without  any  additional  expense. 
Our  agent  for  Utah  is  Orson  Pratt,  jr.,  Salt  Lake  City.  All  subscribers  in 
that  Territory,  by  forwarding  to  our  agent  there  $1  in  advance,  will  receive 
their  papers  from  him  through  the  mail  or  otherwise,  as  they  may  direct. 

Every  family  of  the  Saints  should  take  the  SEER.  And  those  who  have 
means  should  take  one  copy  for  each  of  their  children,  for  they  will  be  greatly 
sought  after  in  years  to  come,  when  they  cannot  be  obtained  without  the  ex- 
pense of  reprinting. 

All  the  back  numbers  of  the  first  volume  can  still  be  obtained. — Editor. 


CONTENTS. 

Power  and  Eternity  of  the  Priesthood 145 

Celestial  Marriage 152 

Notice 160 


WASHINGTON  CITY,   D.   C. 

Edited  and  Published  bt  Orsox  Pratt, 

at  $1  per  annum,  invariably  in  advance. 


1m 


All  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  He 
liftcth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains.— Isaiah  xvm,  3. 


Vol.  I. 


NOVEMBER,  1853. 


No.   11. 


SECOND  EPISTLE  OF  ORSON  PRATT, 

To  the  Saints  scattered  throughout  the  United  States  and  British  Provinces — 
Greeting  : 


Dear  Brethren:  With  a  heart  full 
of  gratitude  to  the  great  Giver  of  every 
good  and  perfect  gift,  for  His  manifold 
mercies  and  blessings  so  liberally  be- 
stowed upon  His  people  in  the  last 
days,  I  again  attempt  to  communicate 
to  you,  through  the  medium  of  an 
Epistle,  such  items  of  intelligence  and 
instruction,  as  will,  no  doubt,  be  inter- 
esting to  you  to  learn. 

Utah,  the  great  central  gathering 
place  for  the  Saints  throughout  the 
world,  is  in  a  very  prosperous  and  flour- 
ishing condition:  her  settlements  are 
rapidly  extending  throughout  the 
breadth  of  the  Territory,  north  and 
south.  This  Territory  is  included  be- 
tween the  parallels  of  37°  and  42° 
North,  and  between  the  meridians  of 
29°  and  43°  West  of  Washington;  or 
in  other  words,  it  is  about  350  miles 
broad  from  North  to  South,  and  about 
650  miles  long  from  East  to  West,  in- 
cluding an  area  of  about  225,000  square 
miles.  The  Legislature,  during  its  first 
session,  in  1852,  divided  the  Territory 
into  twelve  counties,  namely:  Weber, 
Davis,  Desert,  Green  River,  Great  Salt 
Lake,  Utah,  Tooele,  Juab,  Millard,  San 
Pete,  Iron,  and  Washington.  These 
counties  are  mostly  bounded  by  meri- 
dians and  parallels  of  latitude,  and  in- 
clude the  whole  Territory.  By  far  the 
greater  portion  of  this  Territory  consists 
of  mountains  and  deserts  entirely  unfit 
for  the  habitation  of  man  or  animals. 


In  the  midst  of  these  dreary  wastes, 
may  be  seen,  here  and  there,  beautiful 
and  fertile  valleys,  watered  by  crystal 
streams,  formed  by  the  melting  snows 
which  are  deposited,  during  the  winter, 
in  vast  abundance  upon  the  surrounding 
mountains.  During  the  summer,  it  is 
seldom  that  a  sufficient  quantity  of  rain 
falls  for  farming  purposes ;  hence,  the 
husbandman  is  obliged  to  resort  to  the 
process  of  irrigation:  this  is  accom- 
plished by  forming  artificial  canals  and 
channels  in  which  the  water  is  conveyed 
from  the  higher  elevations  near  the  base 
of  the  mountains  to  the  lower  portions 
towards  the  centres  of  the  valleys,  and 
is  used  at  such  times  and  in  such  quan- 
tities, as  are  considered  necessary  by  the 
agriculturist. 

Grains  and  vegetables  of  every  de- 
scription that  are  produced  in  the  same 
latitudes  in  the  States,  grow  in  the  most 
luxuriant  abundance.  Young  fruit  trees 
seem  to  be  thrifty  and  doing  well :  some 
peaches  have  been  produced  for  two  or 
three  years  past.  It  is  one  of  the  best 
grazing  countries  in  the  world ;  the  fine 
bunch  grass  will  fatten  cattle  and 
horses  equal  to  grain :  it  is  seldom  that 
farmers  cut  much  hay,  for  the  cattle 
can  generally  find  good  grazing  the 
year  round. 

Timber  for  building  purposes,  is  not 
found  in  the  valleys,  but  is  procured 
from  the  mountains,  and  consists  prin- 
cipally of  pine  and  fir.     Wood  for  fuel 


162 


SECOND  EPISTLE  OF  ORSON  PRATT. 


is  also  generally  obtained  in  the  moun- 
tains, although  in  some  of  the  more 
southern  parts  a  scrubby  cedar  grows 
in  places  in  the  valleys:  it  is  quite  ex* 
pensive  and  tedious  to  procure  the  ne- 
cessary timber  and  fuel.  Coal  and  iron 
ore  abound  in  the  southern  counties, 
and  probably  in  many  other  places 
where  they  are  not  yet  discovered. 
And  most  happily  gold,  silver,  and 
other  precious  metals  do  not,  to  any 
great  extent,  trouble  Utah's  soil;  or  at 
least,  the  people  have  not  been  so  un- 
fortunate as  to  discover  them,  during 
the  infancy  of  their  settlements. 

Many  of  the  fresh  water  lakes  and 
larger  streams  are  well  stored  with  fish, 
of  which  the  salmon  trout  is  the  prin- 
cipal, (lame  is  rather  scarce  ;  although 
in  the  mountains  and  uninhabited  val- 
leys there  are  occasionally  seen  some 
few  antelope,  deer,  elk,  mountain  sheep, 
foxes,  wolves,  and  grizly  bears.-  Large 
quantities  of  wild  fowl,  principally 
geese  and  ducks,  abound  in  the  vicini- 
ty of  lakes  and  water  courses. 

The  climate  in  midsummer  is  dry 
and  hot;  the  thermometer,  during  the 
middle  of  the  day,  frequently  ranging, 
in  the  shade,  from  90°  to  105°  Fahren- 
heit ;  evenings  and  mornings  generally 
cool,  being  refreshed  by  mountain 
breezes.  The  atmosphere  is  pure  and 
healthy,  and  very  bracing  and  invigor- 
ating to  the  system.  That  dreadful 
scourge — the  cholera — which  has  found 
its  way  into  almost  every  nook  and  cor- 
ner of  our  globe,  has  not  yet  been  per- 
mitted to  scale  the  summit  of  the 
"  everlasting  hills,"  and  enter  those 
healthful  vales,  'the  winters  are  mild. 
Snow,  seldom  falling  in  the  valleys  but 
a  few  inches  in  depth,  soon  disappears 
under  the  warming  influences  of  the 
bright  rays  of  the  sun,  as  they  pene- 
trate, without  much  obstruction,  the 
serene,  almost  cloudless,  and  rarefied 
atmosphere  of  that  elevated  region. 
Spring  and  autumn  are  also  mild ; 
though  given  to  more  sudden  transitions 
from  cold  to  heat,  and  from  heat  to 
cold,  than  climates  of  the  same  latitudes 
on  the  Atlantic  coast.  Vines,  vege- 
tables, corn,  &c,  are  frequently  injured 
by  untimely  frosts.  Winds  are  exceed- 
ingly variable,  shifting  almost  every  day 


to  the  four  points  of  the  compass  :  heavy 
showers  are  rare,  but  wdien  they  do 
come,  they  are  generally  accompanied 
with  thunder  and  hail,  and  sometimes 
with  strong  winds. 

The  lowest  of  these  vallies  are  ele- 
vated more  than  4000  feet  above  the 
sea  level ;  while  the  elevation  of  some 
of  the  more  southern  ones,  where  settle- 
ments are  formed,  is  near  6000  feet. 
The  mountains,  in  many  places  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  settlements, 
tower  up  in  rugged  majestic  grandeur 
from  4000  to  7000  feet  in  perpendicu- 
lar height  above  the  vallies.  The  sum- 
mits of  these  mountains, whitened  with 
eternal  snows,  glisten  in  the  sunbeams 
and  exhibit  sceneries  of  the  most  dazzling 
splendor  and  picturesque  beauty,  as  if 
covered  with  the  glories  of  heaven  like 
Sinai  of  old. 

There  are  several  small  tribes  or 
rather  bands  of  Indians,  inhabiting  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  territory,  who  arc 
sunk  in  the  lowest  depths  of  darkness, 
degradation,  and  misery.  These  bands 
wander  over  the  territory,  often  robbing 
and  murdering  one  another,  and  steal- 
ing whenever  they  have  a  favorable 
opportunity.  They  live  mostly  on 
berries,  roots,  crickets,  fish,  and  such, 
small  game  as  they  may  be  able  to  pro- 
cure with  the  bow  and  arrow.  They 
are  almost  entirely  naked.  Sometimes, 
though  very  rarely,  they  have  tents  or 
wigwams  formed  of  the  skins  of  animals ; 
but  most  generally  they  live  in  caves  or 
in  a  thick  cluster  of  bushes  without 
much  shelter  except  a  few  limbs  of 
small  trees,  bent  down  and  loosely 
covered  with  branches.  Since  the  sett- 
lement of  the  Saints  in  that  territory, 
their  condition  is  being  greatly  im- 
proved: many  are  beginning  to  labor 
and  thus  furnish  themselves  with  food, 
and  blankets,  and  in  some  instances 
with  houses  which  the  saints  have 
erected  for  them:  although  of  late, 
through  the  treacherous,  restless,  and 
warlike  spirit  of  Walker,  one  of  their 
principal  chiefs,  they  have  been  stirred 
up  to  hostilities,  and  have  committed 
some  depredations;  but  through  the 
wise  and  energetic  policy  of  Gov. 
Young  in  placing  all  the  settlements 
in  a  state  of  defense,  and  in  giving 


SECOND  EPISTLE  OF  ORSON  PRATT. 


163 


mik  t  counsel  to  the  saints  to  act  only 
•on  the  defensive,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
they  will  soon  see  their  folly,  and  cease 
their  hostilities,  and  learn  that  the 
saints  are  their  friends,  and  not  their 
enemies. 

The  population  of  Utah  numbers 
from  thirty  to  thirty-fiv-e  thousand  and 
is  annually  increasing  by  the  emigration 
■of  the  saints  from  the  different  nations 
©f  the  earth.  A  chain  of  settlements 
have  been  formed  extending  north  and 
south  some  350  miles.  Many  small 
<cities  have  been  founded  and  incorpo- 
rated with  certain  powers  and  pri\  il<  ges 
by  the  Legislature.  The  following  are 
some  of  the  principal  villages  and  cities 
of  the  territory,  named  in  the  order  of 
their  succession,  commencing  on  the 
north  :  Brownsville,  <  >gden,  Great  Salt 
Lake.  Lehi,  Provo,  Springville,  Nephi, 
Manti,  Fillmore,  Parovan,  and  Cedar 
cities,  Fillmore  city,  being  near  the 
centre  of  this  chain  of  settlements,  is 
appointed  as  the  seat  of  government, 
'it  which  place  the  state  house  is  being 
built.  Great  Salt  Lake  city  is  by  far 
the  largest  and  most  populous  in  the 
territory;  it  covers  an  area  of  several 
square  miles  and  contains  from  eight 
to  ten  thousand  inhabitants.  Thestreets 
are  eight  rods  wide,  crossing  each  other 
at  right  angles,  and  running  north  and 
south,  east  and  west ;  each  block  eon- 
tains  ten  acres  and  is  divided  into  eight 
lots,  each  ten  rods  wide  by  twenty 
long,  affording  an  acre  and  one  quarter 
for  a  building  spot  and  garden  to  each 
family.  One  of  these  squares  was  re- 
served for  public  buildings,  on  which  a 
tabernacle  has  been  erected  and  com- 
pleted that  will  accommodate  about 
■3000  persons.  A  temple  also  is  to  be 
reared  upon  the  same,  the  foundation 
of  which  was  laid  on  the  sixth  of  April 
last.  This  whole  block  is  fast  being 
■enclosed  by  a  high  wall,  encircling  a 
large  public  joiners'  shop  wdiich  is  to 
be  used  in  the  construction  of  the  temple. 
With  common  prosperity  and  the  bless- 
ings of  heaven  in  a  few  years  will  be 
seen  a  large  and  magnificent  temple 
with  its  towers  pointing  towards  heaven, 
erected  upon  that  lovely  and  conse- 
crated spot.  There  are  several  other 
public  buildings   in   the  city,  among 


which  may  be  mentioned  the  Social 
Hall  and  Council  House;  in  the  latter 
oi'  which  the  Legislature  have  as  yet 
held  their  sessions. 

Great  attention  is  being  paid  to  the 
erection  of  school  houses,  and  the  edu- 
r  at  ion  of  youth.  And  it  is  to  be 
fondly  hoped,  that  the  rising  generation 
in  Utah  will  be  generally  and  thoroughlv 
educated  in  every  useful  branch  of  learn- 
in  g  and  science.  A  foundation  is  being 
laid,  broad  and  deep,  to  accomplish 
this  most  desirable  object.  It  is  in 
contemplation  to  erect  a  magnificent 
University  in  which  the  higher  depart- 
ments of  science  will  be  extensively 
taught ;  that  Utah,  being  filled  with 
the  knowledge  of  heaven  and  earth, 
may  be  as  a  great  light  upon  the  mount- 
ains which  shall  be  seen  by  the  nations 
afar  off,  and  cause  many  of  them  to  ex- 
claim, "  Come  let  us  arise,  and  go  up 
unto  the  mountains  of  Zion,  unto  the 
house  of  God  of  Jacob,  that  we  also 
may  be  taught  in  His  ways  and  in- 
structed in  His  paths;  for  there  are  no 
people  like  the  inhabitants  of  Zioii,  full 
of  wisdom,  knowledge,  and  power; 
their  laws  are  founded  in  justice,  equity, 
and  truth ;  and  their  officers  execute 
righteousness  in  the  land ;  peace  and 
salvation  are  within  their  borders;  and 
the  Holy  One  of  Israel  is  their  strength 
for  evermore." 

The  most  of  the  buildings  in  Utah 
are  constructed  of  "  adobies "  or  sun- 
dried  brick  which,  when  properly  made, 
are  not  only  durable  but  impart  beauty 
to  the  edifices,  erected  with  them, 
giving  them  the  appearance  of  stone. 

Many  good  flouring  mills  are  in  ope- 
ration, and  also  many  saw  mills.  It  is 
the  intention  of  the  Saints  to  establish 
manufactories  of  various  descriptions, 
and  as  much  as  possible  produce  within 
themselves  from  the  raw  material,  all 
kinds  of  useful  machinery,  cloths,  do- 
mestics, prints,  shawds,  hats,  leather, 
pots,  kettles,  stoves,  all  kind  of  farming 
utensils,  hardware,  earthen-ware,  tin- 
ware, chairs,  tables,  bedsteads,  sugar, 
paper,  glass,  nails,  mechanic  tools,  and 
every  thing  else  which  will  tend  to  the 
peace,  comfort,  welfare,  prosperity,  and 
happiness  of  the  territory.  Many  of 
these  branches  of  buisness  are  already 


164 


SECOND  EPISTLE  OF  ORSON  PRATT. 


in  successful  operation  ;  and  by  proper 
industry  and  j>erseverance,  the  Saints 
will  not,  after  a  few  years,  be  dependant 
on  foreign  nations,  or  even  the  States, 
for  the  necessaries  and  luxuries  of  life. 

At  present  goods  are  purchased  in 
the  States,  and  transported  by  wagons 
across  the  plains  at  an  expense  of  about 
$250  per  ton,  which,  added  to  the  great 
profits  that  merchants  generally  realize 
by  the  sale  of  the  same  throughout  the 
territory,  cause  the  various  articles  of 
merchandize  to  be  exceedingly  expen- 
sive. 

Up  to  the  present  time,  farmers  have 
found  a  ready  market  for  all  their  sur- 
plus grain  and  other  productions  through 
the  increased  numbers  of  the  saints 
which  annually  pour  into  the  territory, 
and  also  through  the  overland  California 
emigration  which,  for  the  most  part, 
pass  through  Utah  and  recruit  them- 
selves with  a  fresh  supply  of  provisions. 
Horses,  mules,  cattle,  and  sheep,  find 
ready  sale  in  California.  The  great 
facilities,  presented  for  raising  stock 
without  much  expense,  will  cause  that 
branch  of  buisness  to  be  one  of  the 
most  profitable  and  lucrative  of  any  in 
the  country. 

It  is  required  of  all  the  Saints  to 
give  one-tenth  of  all  their  property  as 
.tithing,  which  is  given  into  the  hands 
of  the  principal  Bishop  or  his  agents  to 
be  under  the  control  of  the  First  Presi- 
dency of  the  Church  for  the  erection  of 
church  buildings  and  other  public 
works ;  and  also  to  be  applied  to  what- 
ever object  may  be  considered  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Saints.  The  Saints  also 
are  required  to  give  one-tenth  of  their 
annual  income  as  tithing  for  the  same 
purposes  as  above  specified. 

Independent  of  the  tithing,  another 
fund  has  been  raised  by  the  voluntary 
donations  of  the  Saints  throughout  the 
world,  called,  "  The  Perpetual  Emi- 
grating Fund."  This  fund  is  intended 
to  assist  the  poor  among  the  Saints  in 
gathering  out  from  all  nations.  Those 
whom  the  agents  assist  through  the 
medium  of  this  fund,  are  required  to 
give  a  written  bond  or  obligation,  that 
they  will  refund  by  their  labour  or 
otherwise,  after  they  arrive  in  Utah, 
the  amount  which  has  been  expended 


for  their  benefit.  By  this  policy,  hun- 
dreds of  the  poor  are  gathered  annually,, 
and  still  the  fund  in  the  end  is  not 
diminished.  It  now  amounts  to  up- 
wards of  thirty  thousand  dollars,  and 
will,  no  doubt,  through  the  liberality  of 
the  Saints,  .shortly  be  swelled  to  ten 
times  that  sum. 

The  Saints  throughout  the  United 
States  and  British  Provinces  are  re- 
quired to  forward,  by  letter  or  other- 
wise, their  tithings  to  me,  according  to 
the  instructions  of  the  First  Presidency 
in  their  letter  of  appointment  to  me, 
published  in  the  first  No.  of  the  first 
volume  of  the  Seer.  Let  all  the  Saints 
remember,  both  rich  and  poor,  that  the 
Lord  requires  them  to  give  the  value  of 
one-tenth  part  of  all  they  possess.  If 
any  Saint  possess  ten  dollars,  one  dollar 
of  the  same  is  the  Lord's  ;  if  he  possess 
ten  millions  of  dollars,  one  million  is  the 
Lord's.  And  let  every  Saint  remember 
that  after  he  has  given  one-tenth  of  all 
he  possesses,  he  must  still  continue  to 
give  each  year  one-tenth  of  his  income  ; 
whether  such  income  arises  from  labour,, 
buisness,  increase  of  stock,  or  in  any 
other  way;  one-tenth  thereof  is  the 
Lord's,  and  should  be  given  to  him 
every  year.  How  many  of  the  Saints 
in  our  field  of  labour  are  delinquents  ? 
How  many  have  failed  to  comply  with 
the  word  of  the  Lord  in  regard  to  the 
payment  of  their  tithing  ?  Let  them  re- 
member also  that  those  whose  names 
are  not  found  on  the  tithing  Books,  as 
having  paid  up  the  full  amount  of  their 
tithing,  can  in  no  wise  be  permitted  to 
enter  the  holy  temple  and  receive  their 
endowments ;  those  great  and  holy 
temple  ordinances,  instituted  from  be- 
fore the  foundation  of  the  world,  as  the 
only  means  by  which  the  Saints  can  be 
exalted  to  the  fulness  of  celestial  glory, 
will  be  withheld  from  them,  until  the 
debt  is  cancelled :  it  is  a  debt  which 
you  owe  the  Lord  ;  and  it  is  for  your 
good  to  pay  it :  as  for  the  faithful  ser- 
vants of  God,  it  matters  not  to  them 
whether  you  pay  your  tithing  or  not ; 
the  Church  can  get  along  without  it : 
it  is  only  for  your  own  good  that  you 
are  exhorted  to  obey  the  Lord  in  this 
thing,  knowing  that  if  you  fail,  you  can- 
not receive  the  blessing:. 


SECOND  EPISTLE  OF  ORSON  PRATT. 


1€5 


All  who  wish  to  donate  to  the  "Per- 
petual Emigrating  Fund"  ean  forward 
their  subscriptions  to  me,  and  the  same 
will  be  entered  in  our  books  which  will, 
in  connection  with  the  tithing  books, 
be  handed  over  in  due  time  to  the 
Bishop  in  Zion  to  be  copied  into  the 
general  Records. 

At  a  special  conference  held  by  the 
Saints  in  Salt  Lake  City  in  August, 
1852,  about  one  hundred  missionaries 
were  sent  out  to  the  various  nations  of 
the  earth  ;  twenty-five  others  were  sent 
forth  by  the  general  conference  in  April 
last ;  and  doubtless  many  more  have 
received  missions  at  the  special  con- 
ference held  in  August  last ;  the  pro- 
ceedings of  which  have  not  yet  reached 
me. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  has  been  trans- 
lated and  published  in  the  Danish, 
German,  Italian,  French,  and  Welsh 
languages:  a  translation  also  is  nearly 
completed  in  the  native  tongue  of  the 
Sandwich  Islands.  And  instructions 
have  been  given  to  the  missionaries  to 
translate  it  into  every  language  under 
heaven  as  fast  as  time  and  circum- 
stances will  permit.  The  revelations 
and  commandments  have  also  been 
translated  into  several  languages,  as 
well  as  numerous  other  publications  of 
the  Church.  A  periodical,  devoted  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  Saints  has  been 
published  for  several  years  in  the  Welsh 
language.  Elder  Stenhouse  publishes 
a  monthly  periodical  in  Switzerland  in 
the  French:  and  another  is  being  pub- 
lished in  Paris  in  the  same  language. 
The  '•  Deserkt  News,"  a  semi-monthly 
Newspaper,  is  published  in  Great  Salt 
Lake  City  at  $5  per  annum  in  advance. 
The  "  Millennial  Star  "  was  com- 
menced in  England  in  1840:  it  now 
has  a  weekly  circulation  of  about 
eighteen  thousand.  Besides  all  these, 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  pamphlets 
have  been  widely  circulated  in  the 
British  Isles,  in  Europe,  Asia,  Australia, 
Pacific  Islands,  and  Ameriea,  illuci- 
dating  the  doctrines  of  the  Saints. 

The  Statistical  Report  of  the  Church 
of  the  Saints  in  the  British  Islands  for 
the  half  year  ending  June  30th,  1S53, 
gives  the  following  total :  53  Confer- 
ences, 737  branches,  40   Seventies,  10 


High  Priests,  2578  Elders,  1854  Priests, 
1416  Teachers,  834  Deacons,  1776 
Excommunicated,  274  dead,  1722  Emi- 
grated, 2601  Baptized,  30690  Total. 

In  the  Society  Islands  in  the  Spring 
of  1852,  the  Saints  numbered  between 
1500  and  2000:  these  were  scattered 
over  some  20  Islands,  and  were  greatlv 
persecuted  by  the  Roman  Catholics  and 
the  French  authorities:  many  were 
severely  whipped;  large  numbers  of 
others  closely  confined ;  and  others  still, 
threatened  with  death:  their  only  crime 
consisted  of  meeting  together  for  prayer. 

At  a  conference,  held  on  the  9th  of 
last  March  on  one  of  the  Sandwich  Is- 
lands, there  were  represented  18  Mis- 
sionaries from  Utah  and  about  1200 
Saints  who  dwell  on  different  Islands 
of  the  group.  From  a  letter,  dated 
April  26th,  1853,  the  work  is  rapidly 
progressing  at  Honolulu,  as  many  as 
39  having  been  baptized  in  one  day. 
A  branch  of  about  80  newly  baptized 
persons  had  just  been  organized. 

In  a  letter  from  Elder  Charles  W. 
Wandell,  dated  Sydney,  March  29th, 
1853,  wre  learn  that  there  were  upwards 
of  one  hundred  Saints  in  Australia. 
A  small  company  of  29  persons  were 
about  to  sail  for  California,  on  their  way 
to  the  Salt  Lake. 

On  the  23d  of  July  last,  the  French 
Mission  consisted  of  4  Conferences,  9 
branches,  and  a  total  of  307  members, 
including  officers. 

The  work  in  Italy,  Switzerland,  and 
Germany  is  slowly,  but  steadily  pro- 
gressing. In  Denmark,  Sweden,  and 
Norway,  persecution  rages  :  the  Saints 
are  whipped,  imprisoned,  and  mobbed 
for  preaching,  praying,  and  baptizing ; 
and  yet  hundreds  are  constantly  em- 
bracing the  doctrine.  In  Asia  the  work 
progresses  but  slowly :  but  as  there  have 
been  a  number  of  missionaries  lately 
sent  to  China,  Hindostan,  East  Indies, 
and  Siam,  it  is  likely  that  we  shall,  be- 
fore many  months,  obtain  good  news 
from  them.  At  Malta  many  have  been 
baptized  and  the  truth  is  spreading. 
Baptisms  have  commenced  at  Gibralrer; 
and  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  some 
are  investigating  the  fulness  of  the 
gospel. 

A  large  company  of  Danish  saints 


166 


SECOND  EPISTLE  OF  ORSON  PI? ATT. 


Lave  .already  emigrated  to  Utah.  A 
few  German  Saints  left  Hamburgh  the 
13th  of  August,  on  their  way  to  Salt 
Lake. 

A  few  are  being  baptized  into  the 
church  in  several  of  the  States,  and  in 
the  British  Provinces. 

A  large  colony  of  the  Saints  is 
founded  in  Southern  California  under 
the  presidency  of  Amasa  Lyman  and 
Charles  C.  Rich,  two  of  the  twelve. 

I  shall  not  attempt,  in  this  short  epis- 
tle to  give  one  hnndreth  part  of  the 
interesting  news  which  begins  to  pour 
in  from  all  nations  wherever  the  Latter- 
Day  Saint  Missionaries  are  sent.  Sure- 
ly the  Gospel  will  soon  be  preached  as 
a  witness  to  all  the  world  preparatory 
to  the  coming  of  our  Lord.  What  are 
the  Saints  in  the  United  States  doing? 
Are  they  asleep  ?  Have  their  lamps 
gone  out  ?  I  marvel  at  the  apparent 
drowsiness  and  lethargy  that  stems  to 
hang  heavily  over  some  of  them.  But 
this  is  not  to  be  wondered  at ;  for  many 
that  have  had  means,  have  neglected 
the  great  command  of  God  to  gather 
with  His  people  :  such  can  no  more  en- 
joy the  spirit  of  this  work  and  the  ap- 
probation of  heaven,  than  the  wicked 
ungodly  sects  with  whom  they  are  sur- 
rounded. God  will  not  give  them  His 
Spirit  until  they  manifest  a  sincere  and 
humble  repentance  of  their  disobedi- 
ence, by  gathering  :  let  such  beware, 
lest  in  an  hour  they  think  not,  the  wrath 
of  God  shall  fall  heavily  upon  them, 
and  they  perish  in  their  sins.  God  is 
not  to  be  mocked  in  this  dispensation 
by  those  who  profess  his  name.  They 
will  go  forward  in  obedience  to  every 
command,  or  go  backward  in  coldness 
and  apostacy.  And  Oh,  how  awful  is 
the  condition  of  them  who  apostatize 
from  this  Church  !  far  better  would  it 
have  been  for  them,  if  they  had  never 
been  born,  for  they  are  to  be  cursed 
with  the  heaviest  of  all  cursings,  be- 
cause they  sin  against  so  great  light. 

Let  the  pie  siding  Elders  of  confer- 
ences and  branches  in  the  states  and 
provinces  seek  diligently  to  purify  their 
own  hearts,  and  cry  mightily  to  God 
for  his  Spirit ;  after  which,  let  them, 
hunt  up  the  Saints,  and  strengthen  them 
that   are  weak,  and  minister  to  them 


who  are  ready  to  perish  ;  inquire  ints» 
the  standing  of  every  officer,  and  exhort 
him  to  perform  his  duty  :  let  the  teach- 
ers and  deacons  visit  the  members  often,, 
as  instructed  in  the  book  of  Covenants; 
and  let  every  branch  meet  often  to  pray, 
and  to  hear  the  preaching  of  the  word. 
If  any  are  in  transgression,  use  every 
means  that  the  gospel  requires  to  re- 
claim them ;  if  they  will  not  repent, 
suffer  them  not  to  remain  in  the  church. 

Where  there  are  organized  confer- 
ences, let  the  presiding  officer  of  each 
branch  report  to  the  president  of  the 
conference  in  which  sraeh  branch  is  in- 
cluded, the  number  of  officers  and  mem- 
bers in  his  branch  :  and  let  the  presi- 
dent of  the  conference  report  in  writing 
to  our  office  in  Washington  the  total 
number  of  Blanches,  Officers,  and  Mem- 
bers in  his  conference.  And  where  there 
is  no  organized  conference,  let  the  pre- 
sidents of  branches,  through  the  States 
and  Provinces,  report  by  letter  to  us 
the  number  of  officers  and  members  in 
their  respective  branches,  and  also  the 
number  of  scattered  members  in  the 
•vicinity  of  each  who  are  not  organized 
into  branches. 

Let  the  Presiding  Officers  of  the  con- 
ferences exert  themselves  to  procure  sub- 
scribers for  the  Seer,  and  for  all  the 
church  publications  :  let  an  agent  be  ap- 
pointed in  each  branch  to  whom  the 
Seer,  books,  pamphlets,  &c,  shall  be 
addressed.  In  this  way,  it  will  be  un- 
necessary, in  most  of  cases,  to  send  to 
me  the  names  of  subscribers  ;  I  can 
furnish  the  agent  with  whatever  he  may 
order,  and  he  can  furnish  the  subscri- 
bers. But  in  all  cases,  if  the  agent 
would  have  his  orders  attended  to,  he 
must  forward  to  me  the  subscription 
money  in  advance.  By  a  little  exer- 
tion, the  saints  might  obtain  many  sub- 
scribers out  of  the  church. 

For  the  prosperity  of  the  work  I 
would  suggest  that  each  branch  raise  a 
subscription  for  the  purpose  of  procur- 
ing quantities  of  the  various  tracts- 
which  we  have  on  hand,  and  which  can 
be  circulated  by  lending  them  through 
their  respective  neighborly  ids,  and  thus 
many  may  be  brought  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  truth.  This  plan  has  been  adopt- 
ed with  great  success  in  England,  and 


SECOND  EriSTLE  OF  ORSON  PRATT. 


107 


in  other  parts  of  the  world.  In  Eng- 
land tract  distributors  go  round  once  a 
week,  collecting  such  tracts  as  have 
been  formerly  left,  and  leaving  others 
hi  their  stead:  in  this  manner  tens  of 
thousands  learn  the  truth  that  would 
•otherwise  remain  ignorant. 

Every  Elder  and  Priest  should  dili- 
gently seek  to  open  new  doors  for 
preaehing,  and  labor  with  all  patience 
with  the  inhabitants,  endeavoring  to 
persuade  them  to  repentenee;  it  may 
he  that  some  few  will  repent,  before 
God  shall  visit  the  nation, according  to 
that  which  is  decreed  against  them  in 
the  Book  of  Mormon  and  otherrevela- 
tions.  At  an\-  rate,  it  isneeessary  that 
you  should  faithfully  discharge  every 
duty  in  relation  to  them,  that  your  gar- 
ments may  be  clean  in  the  day  of  visi- 
tation, and  that  the  sins  of  the  people 
may  be  upon  their  own  heads. 

Brethren   of    the   Priesth 1,   keep 

yourselves  pure  and  unspotted  before 
God;  and  if  you  know  of  any  man  in 
the  Chureh  who  already  has  a  wife, 
seeking  to  enter  into  covenant  with  any 
other  female,  know  assuredly  that  he 
has  transgressed,  and  unless  he  repent, 
let  him  be  eut  off  from  the  Church. 

If  vou  find  any  persons  advocating 
the  wicked  impositions  of  Gladden 
Bishop,  of  Charles  B.  Thompson  in  re- 
gard to  Baneemy,  or  of  Strang,  seek  in 
the  spirit  of  meekness  to  reclaim  them, 
and  if  they  will  not  repent  excommuni- 
cate them  from  the  Church,  and  God 
will  soon  show  you  the  wickedness  of 
their  hearts. 

Have  nothing  to  do  with  those  per- 
sons who  deal  with  familiar  spirits,  un- 
der the  names  of  "  Mesmerism,"  "  Elec- 
tro Biology,1'  " Spirit  Rappings,"  "Ta- 
ble Movings,"  "  Writing  Mediums;1  &c; 
for  they  will  darken  your  minds,  and 
bring  you  to  destruction:  they  are  the 
spirits  of  darkness  let  loose  upon  this 
generation  because  of  their  wickedness ; 
and  they  will  increase  more  and  more 
upon  the  earth  until  the  coming  of 
Christ,  as  the  scriptures  predict. 

Let  all  the  Saints  use  every  exertion 
to  gather  to  Utah  next  season.  The 
time  in  which  the  companies  of  Saints 
will  start  on  their  overland  journey 
across  the  plains,  will  be  from  the  10th 


of  May  to  the  1st  of  July.     The  general 
place  of  rendesvous  last  emigration,  was 

at  Keokuk  on  the  Wis!  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  river,  about  200  miles  above 
St.  Louis.  The  most  of  the  saints  at  a 
distance  go  by  water  to  that  place,  pur- 
chasing their  wagons  in  St.  Lonis,  and 
their  teams  in  Illinois,  Missouri,  or  Iowa. 
Elder  Horace  S.  Eldredge,  the  President 
of  the  St.  Louis  Conference,  will  give 
Counsel  to  all  the  emigrating  Saints 
who  may  pass  through  St.  Louis  in  re- 
gard to  all  things  connected  with  their 
outfit  for  the  journey.  Bro.  Eldredge's 
Post  office  address  is  as  follows  :  Post 
Box  333,  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  His  resi- 
dence is  at  139  Market  Street,  up  stairs. 
The  Saints  should  take  with  them 
every  variety  of  choice  garden  seeds; 
and  the  seeds  (.fall  kinds  of  good  fruit ; 
and  also  the  chesnut,  hickerynut,  black 
walnut,  butternut,  and  various  other 
kinds  of  nuts.  Among  other  things  do 
not  forget  the  different  kinds  of  the 
best  grass  and  clover  seed.  The  seeds 
of  the  various  kinds  of  useful  herbs 
should  be  remembered.  And  finally, 
every  thing  in  the  vegetable  depart- 
ment that  would  be  useful  for  food  or 
medicine,  or  that  would  please  the  eye, 
the  taste,  or  the  smell,  or  adorn  and 
beautify  your  habitations,  your  gardens, 
or  your  fields,  should  be  taken  along 
and  planted  in  the  soil  of  Utah. 

Supply  yourselves  plentifully  with 
every  variety  of  useful  school  books  for 
your  children,  together  with  historical 
and  scientific  works  of  every  descrip- 
tion ;  but  leave  novels  and  fictitious 
works  behind  to  satisfy  the  perverted 
appetites  of  the  children  of  darkness 
whose  souls  delight  in  lies  and  fiction, 
far  above  the  great  truths  of  heaven. 

Let  the  Elders  and  officers  preach 
faith,  repentance,  baptism,  and  the  first 
principles  of  the  Gospel,  and  such  doc- 
trines as  are  plain  and  easy  to  be  under- 
stood: and  if  the  people  wish  to  learn 
the  deep  mysteries  of  the  kingdom,  let 
them  embrace  the  Gospel  and  go  up 
unto  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's  house. 
If  they  wish  to  learn  the  particulars  of 
Celestial  Marriage,  baptism  for  the  dead, 
and  such  like  doctrines,  refer  them  to 
our  printed  works  where  they  can  read 
these  thino-s  at  their  leisure.     Remein- 


168 


SECOND  EFISTLE  OF  ORSON  PRATT. 


ber  that  you  have  not  time  to  preach 
and  explain  all  these  things  to  the  peo- 
ple ;  for  God  has  sent  you  to  preach  re- 
pentence  and  the  first  principles  of  sal- 
vation, and  if  mankind  will  not  receive 
these  things,  the  greater  things  will  be 
of  no  benefit  to  them.  There  may  be 
times  when  you  will  have  to  defend 
yourselves  against  the  attacks  of  wicked 
men  upon  these  points  :  do,  at  such 
times,  as  wisdom  shall  direct,  and  be 
sure  to  connect  your  defense  with  such 
plain  principles  of  doctrine,  as  shall  be 
likely  to  do  the  people  good.  Wise 
servants  will  follow  good  and  wise  coun- 
sels, and  will  preach  by  the  gift  and 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  but  those 
who  give  no  heed,  will  preach  their 
own  folly  both  in  precept  and  example. 

The  attention  of  the  saints  is  called 
to  the  list  of  L.  D.  Saint  publications, 
furnished  in  the  Catalogue  which  has 
been  forwarded  to  them.  The  Saints 
should  liberally  supply  themselves  and 
their  children  with  copies  of  each  of 
these  works ;  for  they  will  be  worth 
more  to  them  than  gold,  or  silver,  or 
the  rich  treasures  of  the  earth.  The 
Saints  frequently  transgress  through  ig- 
norance :  and  this  ignorance  arises  from 
a  neglect  to  procure  and  read  the  Church 
publications  :  such  ignorance  is  inex- 
cusable ;  and  such  transgressions  will, 
if  not  repented  of,  be  punished. 

The  signs  of  the  times  are  portentious 
and  clearly  indicate  the  approaching 
downfall  of  the  nations,  and  the  over- 
turning of  kingdoms,  empires,  and  re- 
publics, preparatory  to  the  coming  of 
Christ  and  his  personal  reign  on  the 
earth.  Every  individual,  therefore,  of 
the  Saints  should  be  awake  to  perform 
quickly  and  in  righteousness  every  duty 
required  of  them. 

Among  other  things,  there  are  many 
of  the  saints  who  give  no  heed,  in  the 
least,  to  what  God  has  said  in  a  revela- 
tion, entitled,  "  The  Word  of  Wisdom;" 
they  treat  it  with  perfect  indifference  ; 
vea,  worse,  some  even  boast  of  their  dis- 
obedience to  this  advice,  and  almost 
laugh  at  those  who  attempt  to  obey  it. 
Poor  creatures!  the  day  will  come 
when  they  will  mourn  and  lament,  and 
that  too,  when  it  is  too  late  to  retrieve 
an  ill  spent  life ;  when  the  destroying 


angel  will  teach  them  that  every  word 
of  God  means  something,  and  that  none 
of  his  sayings  can  be  neglected  with 
impunity.  There  must  be  a  great  refor- 
mation amoncr  all  the  Saints  in  regard 
to  this  thing,  as  well  as  in  many  others, 
before  they  can  expect  to  enjoy  many 
of  the  great  blessings  of  the  last  days. 

There  are  others  who  call  themselves 
Saints  who  neither  pray  in  their  fami- 
lies nor  in  secret,  but  are  as  cold  as  the 
northern  blast,  in  regard  to  their  duties 
towards  God,  towards  their  families,  and 
towards  the  Church.  Such  had  far 
better  lie  out  of  the  Church  than  in  it ; 
for  God  will  spue  them  out  of  his  mouth, 
as  corrupt  fruit  which  has  lost  its  flavor. 

There  are  others  whose  names  are 
enrolled  among  the  Saints,  who  think 
more  of  their  property  than  they  do  of 
salvation.  Such  say  in  their  hearts,  "  we 
will  wait  a  while  before  we  gather  up  to 
Utah ;  it  may  be  that  the  Saints  will 
be  driven  again,  and  we  shall  lose  our 
property,  if  we  go.  We  can  tell  better 
how  things  will  be  in  a  few  years  to 
come,  and  if  we  think  our  property  will 
be  safe,  we  will  venture  up."  Woe  unto 
such,  for  unless  they  speedily  repent, 
they  shall  perish  and  their  property 
with  them.  Such  coveteous  hypocrites 
are  not  worthy  of  the  kingdom  of  God 
or  any  of  its  blessings,  but  they  will  go 
down  to  hell  to  keep  company  with 
the  rich  man,  instead  of  being  gathered 
into  Abraham's  bosom  with  poor  Laza- 
rus. The  Saints  must  learn  one  lesson, 
namely,  that  all  who  desire  to  enter  the 
kingdom  of  God  must  be  willing  to  sa- 
crifice all  things  for  the  sake  thereof; 
and  he  that  is  not  willing  to  do  this  will 
surely  fail,  and  his  hopes  will  wither 
away  and  perish. 

Finally,  dear  brethren,  let  me  exhort 
you  with  all  the  earnestness  of  an  hum- 
ble servant  of  God  who  is  deeply  inter- 
ested for  your  salvation,  to  refrain  from 
every  evil — to  be  examples  of  righteous- 
ness before  saints  and  sinners.  Read 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  the  revela- 
tions and  prophecies,  given  through  the 
prophet  Joseph,  and  obey  the  same. 
Give  the  rao^  earnest  heed  to  the 
counsels  of  th  I  'irst  Presidency — to  the 
twelve,  and  to  all  the  faithful  authori- 
ties of  the  Church.     Use  every  exertion 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


169 


to  flee  out  from  the  corruptions  of  the 
Gentiles,  and  to  obtain  for  yourselves  an 
everlasting  inheritance  among  the»peo- 
ple  of  God ;  for  the  day  of  the  wicked 
is  far  spent — their  sun  will  soon  go  down 
in  the  midst  of  clouds  and  thick  dark- 
ness-— a  long  and  dreary  night  awaits 
them  :  but  upon  such  as  fear  the  Lord 
and  keep  his  commandments,  the  sun 
of  righteousness  will  arise,  and  their  day 
will  be  Q-lurious;  for  their  sun  shall  no 


more  go  down  ;  and  God  will  be  unto 
them  an  everlasting  light  which  shall 
shine  for  evermore.  With  the  most 
earnest  desire  for  your  salvation,  both 
temporally  and  spiritually,  I  subscribe 
myself  your  most  humble  servant  in 
the  kingdom  of  God, 

ORSON  PRATT. 
Washington  D,  C, 

October  1st.,  1853. 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE 

(Continued.) 


Notwithstanding  the  Queen  is  num- 
bered among  the  "honorable  Wives" 
of  the  Son  of  God,  yet  she  is  called 
upon  to  Worship  Him  as  her  Lord. 
If  her  husband  were  a  mere  man,  she 
would  not  be  exhorted  to  Worship 
him  ;  this  therefore,  is  another  evi- 
dence that  He  was  truly,  as  Paul  says, 
the  S.iii  of  God. 

Inasmuch  as  the  Messiah  was  to  have 
a  "plurality  of  Wives"  will  they  not  all 
be  Queens  ?  Yes  :  but  there  will  be 
an  order  among  them.  One  seems 
to  be  chosen  to  stand  at  his  right 
hand :  Perhaps  she  may  have  merited 
that  high  station  by  her  righteous 
acts,  or  by  the  position  she  had  previ- 
ously occupied.  It  seems  that  she 
was  one  of  the  daughters  of  a  king : 
for  in  the  same  Psalm  it  says,  "The 
king's  daughter  is  all  glorious  within  : 
her  clothing  is  of  wrought  gold.  She 
shall  be  brought  unto  the  King  in  rai- 
mant  of  needle  work  :  the  virgins  her 
companions  that  follow  her  shall  be 
brought  unto  Thee.  With  gladness 
and  rejoicing  shall  they  be  brought : 
they  shall  enter  into  the  King's  pal- 
ace." (verses  13-15.)  It  must  be  re- 
collected that  "  kings'  daughters  were 
among  Thine  honorable  Wives."  The 
kings  here  spoken  of  were  no  doubt 
those  who  through  obedience  to  the 
gospel  became  kings  and  priests  for 
ever :  for  we  cannot  suppose  that 
Christ  would  marry  the  daughters  of 
the  kings  of  this  world  who  only  reign 
under  the  pretended  name  of  kings  for 


this  short  life  :  such  are  not  worthy  to 
be  called  kings.  Some  of  the  daughters 
of  those  kings  who  are  to  reign  on  the 
earth  for  ever  and  ever,  and  who  are 
in  reality  kings,  will  be  among  His 
"honorable  wives,"  one  being  chosen 
to  stand  as  Queen  at  His  right  hand 
and  worship  Him,  unto  whom  is 
made  the  following  promise:  "Instead 
of  thy  fathers  shall  be  thy  children, 
whom  thou  mayest  make  Princes  in 
all  the  earth.  I  will  make  thy  name 
to  be  remembered  in  all  generations : 
therefore  shall  the  people  praise  thee 
for  ever  and  ever."  (verses  16,  17.) 
We  are  not  informed  at  what  time 
Jesus  was  to  be  married  to  this  king's 
daughter  or  to  any  of  the  rest  of  His 
wives.  But  from  what  John  the  Bap- 
tist says,  He  may  have  been  married 
to  some  of  them  previous  to  that  proph- 
ets martyrdom :  The  passage  is  as  fol- 
lows ;  "  He  that  hath  the  Bride  is  the 
Bridegroom :  but  the  friend  of  the 
Bridegroom,  which  standeth  and  hear- 
eth  Him,  rejoiceth  greatly  because  of 
the  Bridegroom's  voice  :  this  my  joy 
therefore  is  fulfilled.  He  must  increase, 
but  I  must  decrease."  (John  3  :  29,  30.) 
And  again,  "  Jesus  said  unto  them, 
Can  the  children  of  the  bridechamber 
mourn,  as  lono-  as  the  Bridegroom  is 
with  them  \  but  the  days  will  come,  when 
the  Bridegroom  shall  be  taken  from 
them,  and  then  shall  they  fast."  (Ma- 
thew  9  :  15.)  John  represents  Jesus 
as  already  in  the  possession  of  the 
Bride;  while    the     Saviour    confirms 


170 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


what  John  says,  by  calling-  Himself 
"  the  Bridegroom"  and  the  disciples 
"the  children  of  the  Bridechamber," 
but  who  the  Bride  was  neither  of  them 
informs  us.  Whether  Jesus  had  mar- 
ried any  of  His  wives  at  that  time  or 
not,  it  is  very  evident  that  there  will 
be  a  marriage  of  the  Son  of  God  at 
the  time  of  His  second  coming:  for 
Jesus  said,  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven 
is  like  unto  a  certain  king,  which  made 
a  marriage  for  his  son,  and  sent  forth 
his  servants  to  call  them  that  were 
bidden  to  the  welding :  and  they 
would  not  come.  Again,  he  sent  forth 
other  servants,  saying,  Tell  them  which 
are  bidden,  Behold  I  have  prepared 
my  dinner  :  my  oxen  and  fallings  are 
killed,  and  all  things  are  ready  :  come 
unto  the  marriage.  But  they  made 
light  of  it,  and  went  their  ways,  one  to 
his  farm,  another  to  his  merchandise  : 
and  the  remnant  took  his  servants,  and 
entreated  them  spitefully  and  slew 
them.  But  when  the  king  heard 
thereof,  lie  was  wroth  :  and  he  sent 
forth  his  armies,  and  destroyed  those 
murderers,  and  burned  up  their  city. 
Then  saith  he  to  his  servants,  The 
wedding  is  ready,  but  they  which 
were  bidden  were  not  worthy.  Go  ye 
therefore  into  the  highways,  and  as 
many  as  ye  shall  find  bid  them  to  the 
marriage.  So  those  servants  went  out 
into  the  highways,  and  gathered  to- 
gether all  as  many  as  they  found,  both 
bad  and  good  :  and  the  wedding  was 
furnished  with  guests.  And  when  the 
king  came  in  to  see  the  guests,  he  saw 
there  a  man  which  had  not  on  a  wed- 
ding garment :  and  he  saith  unto  him, 
Friend  how  earnest  thou  in  hither  not 
having  a  wedding  garment  I  And  he 
was  speechless.  Then  said  the  king  to 
his  servants,  Bind  him  hand  and  foot, 
and  take  him  away  ami  east  him  into 
outer  darkness ;  there  si  all  be  weeping 
and  gnashing  of  teeth.  For  many  are 
called,  but  few  are  chosen."  (Matthew 
22:  1-14.)  All  will  admit  that  the 
king's  son,  here  spoken  of,  is  Jesus 
Christ,  and  that  the  last  servants  who 
are  sent  forth  have  a  commission  to 
gather  together  from  the  high  aj 
and  hedges  both  bad  and  good  :  and 
that  by  this  gathering,  "  the  wedding 


was  furnished  with  guests."  The 
Bridegroom,  the  servants,  and  the 
guests  are  all  mentioned ;  but  the 
parable  does  not  inform  us  who  the 
Bride  is.  John  the  Revelator  des- 
cribes the  greatness,  the  glory,  and 
the  magnificence  of  this  marriage  cel- 
ebration. He  says,  "  And  I  heard  as 
it  were  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude, 
and  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and 
as  the  voice  of  mighty  thunderings, 
saying,  Alleluia :  for  the  Lord  God 
Omnipotent  reigneth.  Let  us  be  glad, 
and  rejoice  and  give  honor  to  him  :  for 
the  Marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come, 
and  His  Wife  hath  made  herself  rea- 
dy. And  to  her  was  granted  that  she 
should  be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean 
and  white  :  for  the  fine  linen  is  the 
righteousness  of  saints,  And  he  saith 
unto  me,  Write,  Blessed  are  they 
which  are  called  unto  the  marriage  sup- 
per of  the  Lamb."  (Rev.  19:^6-9.) 
That  the  wife  was  to  be  a  very  good 
and  holy  woman,  is  very  clearly  indi- 
cated by  her  being  clothed  with  "  the 
righteousness  of  the  saints."  compared 
to  fine  linen,  clean  and  white.  Her  rai- 
ment is  more  fully  described  in  the 
Psalm  already  epioted,  being  composed 
of  fine  needle  work  of  wrought  gold, 
while  many  virgins  were  to  be  her 
attendants. 

That  the  Bride  will  continue  to  be 
the  Wife  of  the  Son  of  God  in  Eternity 
as  well  as  time,  is  most  clearly  revealed 
in  the  twenty-first  chapter  of  the  Rev- 
elations, where  St.  John  beheld  the 
New  Earth,  and  the  angel  said  unto 
him,  "  Come  hither,  I  will  shew  thee 
the  Bride,  the  Lamb's  Wife ;"  and  he 
was  carried  in  the  spirit  to  a  great  and 
high  mountain,  and  saw  a  great  city 
called  the  holy  Jerusalem,  descending 
from  the  heavens  upon  the  New  Earth. 
This  city  contained  the  throne  of  God 
and  the  Lamb,  and  was  inhabited  by  a 
great  nation  of  kings  who  were  to 
"  reign  for  ever  and  ever"  being  Gods, 
as  is  evident  from  the  name  of  God 
being  written  on  each  of  their  fore- 
heads. The  inscription  upon  their 
foreheads  was  not  intended  as  a  mere 
sham  or  mockery,  but  was  in  reality 
the  name  given  to  each,  that  all  the 
inhabitants  of  eternity,  when  they  saw 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


171 


GOD  conspicuously  inscribed  upon  all 
their  foreheads,  might  know  most  as- 
suredly that  each  one  was  a  God,  as  the 
written  title  or  name  expressly  declar- 
ed. The  grandeur  and  glory  of  this 
city  are  still  further  described ;  the  ci- 
ty and  the  streets  thereof  were  of  pure 
gold,  clear  as  glass,  while  the  walls 
and  the  gates  were  of  the  most  pre- 
cious stones ;  and  the  glory  of  God  en- 
lightened the  city,  so  that  they  had  no 
need  of  the  light  of  the  sun  or  moon. 
This  light  was  so  great  that  all  the  na- 
tions that  were  saved  that  dwelt  upon 
all  the  face  of  the  New  Earth,  walked 
in  the  light  of  it.  There  was  no  night 
there,  but  the  whole  Earth  was  clothed 
in  one  eternal  day.  It  was  in  the 
midst  of  this  city  that  the  King 
of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords  sat 
upon  His  throne,  while  upon  His 
"right  hand  did  stand  the  Queen,"-  ar- 
rayed in  the  most  costly  apparel.  In 
order  that  John  might  see  the  glory  of 
God,  the  glory  of  His  kingdom,  and  the 
glory  of  His  Bride,  it  was  necesary  to 
show  him,  the  Palace,  the  place  of 
the  Throne,  and  the  city  in  which  the 
Bride  resided.  It  is  expressly  said, 
concerning  this  Queen,  that  her  name 
should  be  remembered  in  all  genera- 
tions, and  that  the  people  should  praise 
her  for  ever  and  ever,  (Psalm  45  :  17.) 
As  John  saw  in  vision  the  Bride,  the 
Lamb's  Wire  more  than  a  thousand 
years  after  her  marriage — after  she  and 
all  the  rest  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth  had  been  raised  from  the  dead 
and  become  immortal — it  is  quite  cer- 
tain that  she  was  in  reality  a  Wife  af- 
ter the  resurrection  as  well  as  before, 
and  that  she  will  be  the  Lamb's  Wife 
forever  and  ever  ;  and  in  that  capacity 
she  will,  as  the  Psalmist  has  said,  be 
respected  and  praised  by  all  the  jteo- 
ple  for  ever  and  ever. 

That  the  marriage  will  be  celebra- 
ted at  the  second  coming  of  the  Mes- 
siah, is  also  clearly  expressed  in  the 
parable  of  the  ten  Virgins  :  for  Jesus 
said,  "  Then  shall  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  be  likened  unto  ten  Virgins, 
which  took  their  lamps,  and  went  forth 
to  meet  the  Bridegroom.  And  five  of 
them  were  wise,  and  five  were  foolish. 
They    that    were    foolish    took    their 


lamps,  and  took  no  oil  with  them  :  but 
the  wise  took  oil  in  their  vessels  with 
their  lamps.  While  the  Bridegroom 
tarried,  they  all  slumbered  and  slept. 
And  at  midnight  there  was  a  cry  made, 
Behold,  the  Bridegroom  cometh,  go 
ye  out  to  meet  him.  Then  all  those 
Virgins  arose,  and  trimmed  their  lamps. 
And  the  foolish  said  unto  the  wise, 
Give  us  of  your  oil ;  for  our  lamps  are 
gone  out.  But  the  wise  answered, 
saying,  Not  so ;  lest  there  be  not 
enough  for  us  and  you :  but  go  ye 
rather  to  them  that  sell,  and  buy  for 
yourselves.  And  while  they  went  to 
buy,  the  Bridegroom  came ;  and  they 
that  were  ready  went  in  with  Him  to 
the  marriage  :  and  the  door  was  shut. 
Afterward  came  also  the  other  virgins, 
saving,  Lord,  Lord,  open  to  us.  But 
He  answered  and  said,  Verily  I  say 
unto  you,  I  know  you  not.  Watch 
therefore,  for  you  know  neither  the 
day  nor  the  hour  wherein  the  Son  of 
Man  cometh."  (Mathew  25 :  1-13.) 
This  parable,  like  that  of  the  marriage 
of  the  King's  son  which  we  have  al- 
ready quoted,  plainly  shows  that  there 
will  be  a  gathering  out  from  among 
the  nations — a  going  forth  to  meet 
the  Bridegroom;  but  among  those 
who  gather,  there  will  be  some  with- 
out a  weddiug  garment — without  oil 
in  their  lamps.  But  the  five  wise  vir- 
gins who  are  ready,  will  go  in  with 
the  Bridegroom  to  the  marriage,  and 
the  door  will  be  shut.  And  here  let 
us  ask  the  following  questions  :  Are 
these  five  wise  virgins,  to  be  married 
unto  the  Bridegroom,  or  are  they  only 
the  invited  guests  ?  And  if  they  are 
guests  who  constitutes  the  Bride  ?  In 
the  parable  of  the  marriage  of  the 
King's  son,  it  is  said,  "  And  the  wed- 
ding was  furnished  with  guests  ;  "  the 
guests  being  those  who  received  the 
invitation  of  the  servants  and  gath- 
ered together.  If  the  five  wise  virgins 
constitute  the  guests,  then  the  Bride 
must  be  some  wise  holy  virgin,  chosen 
to  be  the  royal  consort  or  Queen.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  the  five  wise  virgins 
represent  all  the  saints,  both  male  and 
female,  and  if  they  all  constitute  the 
Bride,  then  where  will  the  guests  come 
from,  or  who  will  they  be  .'     Again,  if 


172 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE. 


the  five  virgins  are  actually  virgins  or 
females  who  are  to  be  married  to  the 
Bridegroom,  then  all  the  rest  of  the 
saints  would  constitute  the  guests. 
Are  not  these  five  wise  virgins  the 
"  honorable  Wives"  which  the  Psalm- 
ist represents  the  Son  of  God  as  hav- 
ing taken  from  among  king's  daughters? 

From  the  passage  in  the  forty-fifth 
Psalm,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  great 
Messiah  who  was  the  founder  of  the 
Christian  religion,  was  a  Polygaraist, 
as  well  as  the  Patriarch  Jacob  and  the 
prophet  David  from  whom  He  descen- 
ded according  to  the  flesh.  Paul  says 
concerning  Jesus,  "  Verily  he  took  not 
on  him  the  nature  of  angels  ;  but  he  took 
on  him  the  seed  of  Abraham."  (Heb. 
2  :  16.)  Abraham  the  Polygamist, 
being  a  friend  of  God,  the  Messiah 
chose  to  take  upon  himself  his  seed ; 
and  by  marrying  many  honorable 
wives  himself,  show  to  all  future  gen- 
erations that  he  approbated  the  plu- 
rality of  Wives  under  the  Christian 
dispensation,  as  well  as  under  the  dis- 
pensations in  which  His  Polygamist 
ancestors  livred. 

We  have  now  clearly  shown  that 
God  the  Father  had  a  plurality  of 
wives,  one  or  more  being  in  eternity, 
by  whom  He  begat  our  spirits  as  well 
as  the  spirit  of  Jesus  His  First  Born, 
and  another  being  upon  the  earth  by 
whom  He  begat  the  tabernacle  of  Je- 
sus, as  His  Only  Begotten  in  this 
world.  We  have  also  proved  most 
clearly  that  the  Son  followed  the  ex- 
ample of  his  Father,  and  became  the 
great  Bridegroom  to  whom  kings' 
daughters  and  many  honorable  Wives 
were  to  be  married.  We  have  also 
proved  that  both  God  the  Father  and 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  inherit  their 
wives  in  eternity  as  well  as  in  time ; 
and  that  God  the  Father  has  already 
begotten  many  thousand  millions  of 
sons  and  daughters  and  sent  them  into 
this  world  to  take  tabernacles;  and 
that  God  the  Son  has  the  promise 
that  "  of  the  increase  of  his  government 
there  shall  be  no  end  ;"  it  being  express- 
ly declared  that  the  children  of  one  of 
His  Qus  is  should  be  made  Princes  in 
all  the   earth.     (See   Psalm    45:  16.) 

Jesus  says  there   shall   be  weeping 


and  gnashing  of  teeth,  when  ye  shall 
see  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob, 
and  all  the  prophets  in  the  kingdom  of 
God,  and  you  yourselves  thrust  out." 
(Luke  13  :  28.)  There  are  many  in 
this  generation  so  pious  that  they 
would  consider  themselves  greatly  dis- 
graced to  be  obliged  to  associate  with 
a  man  having  a  plurality  of  wives  ; 
would  it  not  be  well  for  such  to  desire 
a  place  separate  from  the  kingdom  of 
God,  that  they  may  not  be  contamina- 
ted with  the  society  of  these  old  Po- 
lygamists  ?  And  then  it  would  be  so 
shocking  to  the  modesty  of  the  very 
pious  ladies  of  Christendom  to  see 
Abraham  and  his  wives,  Jacob  and 
his  wives,  Jesus  and  his  honorable 
wives,  all  eating  occasionally  at  the 
same  table,  and  visiting  one  another, 
and  conversing  about  their  numerous 
children  and  their  kingdoms.  Oh,  ye 
delicate  ladies  of  Christendom,  how 
can  you  endure  such  a  scene  as  this  ? 
Oh,  what  will  you  do,  when  you  behold 
on  the  very  gates  of  the  holy  Jerusa- 
lem the  names  of  the  Twelve  sons  of  the 
four  wives  of  the  Polygamist  Jacob  ? 
If  you  do  not  want  your  morals  cor- 
rupted, and  your  delicate  ears  shocked, 
and  your  pious  modesty  put  to  the 
blush  by  the  society  of  polygamists 
and  their  wives,  do  not  venture  near 
the  holy  Jerusalem,  nor  come  near  the 
New  Earth;  for  Polygamists  will  be 
honored  there,  and  will  be  among  the 
chief  rulers  in  that  Kingdom. 

Peter  says,  Likewise  ye  wives  be  in 
subjection  to  your  own  husbands, 
*  *.  *  *  even  as  Sarah  obeyed 
Abraham,  calling  him  Lord :  whose 
daughters  ye  are,  as  long  as  ye 
do  well."  (1  Peter  3:  1,  6.)  The 
females  in  the  first  age  of  Christianity 
considered  it  a  great  honor  to  become 
the  daughters  of  Abraham,  but  now 
thev  have  become  so  righteous  that 
they  think  it  a  disgrace  to  be  found 
in  the  society  of  a  Polygamist ;  and 
no  doubt  they  would  think  their  char- 
acters ruined  for  ever,  if  any  one  should 
be  so  immodest  as  to  call  them  the 
daughters  of  the  Polygamist  Abraham. 
But  we  will  tell  them  how  to  avoid  this 
deep  disgrace  ;  they  can  cease  to  do 
well ;  for  Peter  says  that  it  is   only  on 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


173 


this  condition  that  they  become  the 
daughters  of  Abraham.  It  will  be  ne- 
cessary for  you  to  reject  Christianity  and 
not  obey  the  gospel ;  for  in  so  doing  you 
might  very  much  endanger  your  rep- 
utation by  becoming  the  daughters  of 
that  noted  Polygamist.  To  become 
the  daughters  of  a  Polygamist  by 
voluntarily  embracing  Christianity 
would  be  at  once  sanctioning  father 
Abraham's  deeds.  Only  think  how 
awfully  shocking  it  would  be,  to  have 
your  neighbors  point  the  finger  of  scorn 
at  you,  and  say,  "  There  goes  a  daugh- 
ter of  Abraham — she  has  been  adopt- 
ed into  the  family  of  that  old  Polyga- 
mist— she  must  be  a  very  immodest 
woman  to  want  to  get  into  his  family," 
among  his  wives  and  concubines — who 
would  have  ever  thought,  that  she 
would  have  embraced  the  faith  of 
Abraham,  and  thus  consent  to  be  adopt- 
ed as  one  of  his  daughters,  when  she 
very  well  knew  his  character  !  0  what 
a  disgrace  !  I  wonder  if  she  will  not 
want  to  go  and  sit  down  with  her 
adopted  father  and  with  all  his  wives 
in  the  kingdom  of  God.  I  dare  say 
she  will ;  for  there  is  no  telling  how  far 
Christianity  will  lead  them,  when  they 
get  so  far  gone  as  to  be  adopted  into 
Abraham's  family.  The  doctrine  that 
she  has  embraced  tells  her  that  many 
shall  come  from  the  east,  and  from  the 
Avest,  and  from  the  north,  and  from  the 
south,  and  shall  sit  down  with  Abra- 
ham, Isaac,  and  Jacob  in  the  kingdom 
of  God.  O  how  shameful !  I  wonder 
why  the  law  dont  put  a  stop  to  Chris- 
tianity when  it  produces  such  an  im- 
moral influence  as  to  cause  so  many 
not  only  to  be  adopted  into  these  dis- 
graceful families,  but  to  pretend  that 
such  characters  are  going  to  be  in 
the  kingdom  of  God,  and  that  all  their 
adopted  children  will  go  there  too. 
She  not  only  disgraces  herself  by  com- 
ing into  such  a  family,  but  according 
to  her  doctrine  she  will  have  to  associ- 
ate with  beggars,  for  her  book  says, 
that  the  angels  laid  hold  of  a  poor 
beggar  named  Lazarus  and  carried  him 
off  to  Abraham's  bosom.  Oh  what  a 
family  !  Polygamists  and  beggars  all 
together  !  and  that  poor  silly  woman  is 
one  of  his  daughters,  and  expects  when 


she  dies  to  be  carried  to  his  bosom  al- 
so. I  wonder  if  there  will  not  be  some 
great  gulf  or  some  other  barrier  to 
keep  such  disgraceful  characters  from 
intruding  upon  the  society  and  cor- 
rupting the  morals  of  the  good  pious 
people  who  die  in  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury !  I  wonder  if  the  angels  will  have 
the  impudence  to  drag  us  away  as  soon 
as  we  die  to  the  bosom  of  such  a  no- 
ted Polygamist  as  Abraham  !"  If  you 
do  not  want  to  suffer  such  deep  dis- 
grace, you  must  keep  out  of  Abraham's 
family  by  neglecting  the  Gospel;  and 
when  you  die,  the  angels  will  not  trou- 
ble you  with  his  society,  but  there  will 
be  a  great  gulf  intervening  between  you 
and  his  family  over  wThich  there  will  be 
no  passage. 

Inasmuch  as  the  saints  in  Utah  con- 
sider it  moral,  virtuous,  and  scriptural, 
to  practice  the  plurality  system,  they 
.should  seek  by  every  means  to  Eradi- 
cate, not  only  from  their  own  minds, 
but  from  the  minds  of  their  children, 
every  erroneous  improper  prejudice 
which  they  have  formerly  imbibed,  by 
their  associations  with  the  nations  of 
modern  Christendom.  Parents  who 
have  daughters  should  seek  to  instil 
into  their  minds,  that  it  is  just  as  hon- 
orable for  them  to  be  united  in  marri- 
age to  a  good  man  who  is  already  a 
husband,  as  to  one  that  is  single  :  they 
should  be  taught  to  reject  the  society 
and  proposals  for  marriage  of  all  wick- 
ed men,  whether  single  or  not.  A 
father  should  be  impartial  to  all  his  chil- 
dren, and  cultivate  the  same  love  for 
them  all ;  while  each  wife  should  instil 
into  the  minds  of  her  own  children  the 
necessity  of  loving  the  children  of  each 
of  the  others,  as  brothers  and  sisters. 
Each  wife  should,  not  only  care  for  the 
welfare  of  her  husband  and  her  own 
children,  but  should  also  seek  the  hap- 
piness of  each  of  his  other  wives  and 
children.  And  likewise,  the  children 
of  each  wife  should  not  only  respect, 
honor,  and  love  their  own  mother,  but 
also  the  mothers  of  all  their  brothers 
and  sisters.  By  observing  these  pre- 
cepts, peace  and  tranquility  will  reign 
throughout  every  department  of  the 
family,  and  the  spirit  of  God  will  flow 
freely  from  heart  to  heart. 


174 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


Nothing  is  so  much  to  be  desired  in 
families  as  peace,  love,  and  union : 
they  are  essential  to  happiness  here 
and  hereafter.  And,  in  order  to  pro- 
mote these  desirable  objects,  we  would 
recommend  the  observance  of  the  fol- 
lowing rules. 

Rule  1st. — Let  that  man  who  in- 
tends to  become  a  husband,  seek  first 
the  kingdom  of  God  and  its  righteous- 
ness, and  Irani  to  govern  himself,  ac- 
cording to  the  law  of  God  :  for  he 
that  cannot  govern  himself  cannot 
govern  others :  let  him  dedicate  his 
property,  his  talents,  his  time,  and  even 
his  life  to  the  service  of  God,  holding 
all  things  at  His  disposal,  to  do  with 
the  same,  according  as  He  shall  direct 
through  the  counsel  that  He  has  or- 
dained. 

Rule  2nd. — Let  him  next  seek  for 
wisdom  to  direct  him  in  the  choice  of 
his  wives.  Let  him  seek  for  those 
whose  qualifications  will  render  him 
and  themselves  happy.  Let  him  look 
not  wholly  at  the  beauty  of  the  coun- 
tenance, or  the  splendor  of  the  appa- 
rel, or  the  great  fortune,  or  the  artful 
smiles,  or  the  affected  modesty  of  fe- 
males ;  for  all  these,  without  the  gen- 
uine virtues,  are  like  the  dew-drops 
which  glitter  for  a  moment  in  the  sun, 
and  dazzle  the  eye,  but  soon  vanish 
away.  But  let  him  look  for  kind  and 
amiable  dispositions ;  for  unaffected 
modesty;  for  industrious  habits;  for 
sterling  virtue;  for  honesty,  integrity, 
and  truthfulness;  for  cleanliness  in  per- 
sons, in  apparel,  in  cooking,  and  in  ev- 
ery kind  of  domestic  labor ;  for  cheer- 
fulness, patience,  and  stability  of  char- 
acter ;  and  above  all,  for  genuine  reli- 
gion  to  control  and  govern  their  every 
thought  and  deed.  When  he  has 
found  those  possessing  these  qualifica- 
tions let  him  seek  to  obtain  them  law- 
fully through  the  counsel  of  him  who 
holds  the  keys  of  the  everlasting  priest- 
hood, that  they  may  be  married  to 
him  by  the  authority  of  Heaven,  and 
thus  be  secured  to  him  for  time  and  for 
all  eternity. 

Rule  3rd — When  a  man  has  ob- 
tained his  wives,  let  him  not  sup- 
pose that  they  are  already  perfect  in 
all  things  ;  for  this  caunct  be  expect- 


ed in  those  who  are  young  and  inex- 
perienced in  the  cares  and  vicissitudes 
of  a  married  life.  Th#ey,  as  weaker 
vessels,  are  given  to  him  as  the  stron- 
ger, to  nourish,  cherish,  and  protect ; 
to  be  their  head,  their  patriarch,  and 
their  saviour;  to  teach,  instruct,  coun- 
sel, and  perfect  them  in  all  things  re- 
lating to  family  government,  and  the 
welfare  and  happiness  of  themselves 
and  their  children.  Therefore,  let  him 
realize  the  weighty  responsibility  now 
placed  upon  him,  as  the  head  of  a 
family  ;  and  also  let  him  study  dili- 
gently the  disposition  of  his  wives,  that 
he  may  know  how  to  instruct  them  in 
wisdom  for  their  good. 

Rule  4th. — Betray  not  the  confi- 
dence of  your  wives.  There  ane  many 
ideas  in  an  affectionate  confiding  wife 
which  she  would  wish  to  communicate 
to  her  husband,  and  yet  she  would  be 
very  unwilling  to  have  them  communi- 
cated to  others.  Keep  each  of  your 
wives'  secrets  from  all  the  others,  and 
from  anyone  else,  unless  in  cases  where 
good  will  result  by  doing  otherwise. 

Rule  5th. — Speak  not  of  the  faults 
of  your  wives  to  others  ;  for  in  so  doing, 
you  speak  against  yourself.  If  you 
speak  to  one  of  your  wives  of  the  im- 
perfections of  the  others  who  may  be 
absent,  you  not  only  injure  them  in 
her  estimation,  but  she  will  expect  that 
vou  will  speak  against  her  under  like 
circumstances :  this  is  calculated  to 
weaken  their  confidence  in  you,  and 
sow  division  in  the  family.  Tell  each 
one  of  her  faults  in  private  in  a  spirit 
of  kindness  and  love,  and  she  will  most 
probably  respect  you  for  it,  and  en- 
deavor to  do  better  for  the  future  ;  and 
thus  the  others  will  not,  because  of 
your  reproof,  take  occasion  to  speak  re- 
proachfully of  her.  There  may  be  cir- 
cumstances, when  reproof,  given  in  the 
presence  of  the  others,  will  produce  a 
salutary  influence  upon  all.  Wisdom 
is  profitable  to  direct,  and  should  be 
sought  for  earnestly  by  those  who 
have  the  responsibility  of  families. 

Rule  6th. — Avoid  anger  and  a  fret- 
ful peevish  disposition  in  your  family. 
A  hasty  spirit,  accompanied  with  harsh 
words,  will  most  generally  beget  its 
own  likeness,  or,  at  least,  it  will,  eventu- 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


m 


ally,  sour  the  feelings  of  your  wives  and 
children,  and  greatly  weaken  their  af- 
fections for  you.  You  should  remem- 
ber that  harsh  expressions  against  one 
of  your  wives,  used  in  the  hearing  of 
the  others,  will  more  deeply  wound 
her  feelings,  than  if  she  alone  heard 
them.  Reproofs  that  are  timely  and 
otherwise  good,  may  lose  their  good 
effect  by  being  administered  in  a  wrong 
spirit,  indeed,  they  will  most  probably 
increase  the  evils  which  they  were  in- 
tended to  remedy.  Do  not"  find  fault 
with  every  trifling  error  that  you  may 
see  ;  for  this  will  discourage  your  family, 
and  they  will  begin  to  think  that  it  is 
impossible  to  please  you;  and,  after  a 
while,  becom.-  indifferent  as  to  whether 
they  please  you  or  not.  How  unhappy 
and  extremely  wretched  is  that  family 
where  nothing  pleases — where  scolding 
has  become  almost  as  natural  as  breath- 
ing! 

Rule  1th. — Use  impartiality  in  your 
family  as  far  as  circumstances  will  al- 
low; and  let  your  kindness  and  love 
abound  towards  them  all.  Use  your 
own  judgment,  as  the  head  of  the  family, 
in  regard  to  your  duties  in  relation  to 
them,  and  be  not  swayed  from  that 
Which  is  right,  by  your  own  feelings, 
nor  by  the  feelings  of  others. 

Rule  8th. — Sutter  not  your  judgment 
to  be  biased  against  any  one  of  your 
wives,  by  the  accusations  of  the  others, 
unless  you  have  good  grounds  to  be- 
lieve that  those  accusations  are  just. 
Decide  not  hastily  upon  partial  evi- 
dence, but  weigh  well  all  things,  that 
your  mind  may  not  become  unjustly 
prejudiced.  When  one  of  your  wives 
complains  of  the  imperfections  of  the 
others,  and  endeavors  to  set  your  mind 
against  them,  teach  her  that  all  have 
imperfections,  and  of  the  necessity  of 
bearing  one  with  another  in  patience, 
and  of  praying  one  for  another. 

Rule  9th. — Call  your  wives  and 
children  together  frequently,  and  in- 
struct them  in  their  duties  towards 
God,  towards  yourself,  and  towards  one 
another.  Pray  with  them  and  for  them 
often ;  and  teach  them  to  pray  much, 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  may  dwell  in  their 
midst,  without  which  it  is  impossible 
to  maintain  that  union,  love,  and  one- 


ness which  are  so  necessary  io  happiness 
and  salvation. 

Rule  10th. — Remember,  that  not- 
withstanding written  rules  will  be  of 
service  in  teaching  you  your  duties,  as 
the  head  of  a  family,  yet  without  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  teach  ami  instruct  you, 
it  is  impossible  for  you  to  govern  a 
family  in  righteousness  ;  therefore,  seek 
after  the  Holy  Ghost  and  He  shall 
teach  you  all  things,  and  sanctify  you 
and  your  family,  and  make  you  one, 
that  you  may  he  perfected  in  Him  and 
He  in  you,  and  eventually  he  exalted 
on  high  to  dwell  with  God, where  your 
joy  will  be  full  forever. 

Rule  llth. — Let  no  woman  unite 
herself  in  marriage  with  any  man,  un- 
less she  has  fully  resolved  to  submit 
herself  wholly  to  his  counsel,  and  to  let 
him  govern  as  the  head.  It  is  far  bet- 
ter for  her  not  to  be  united  with  him 
in  the  sacred  bonds  of  eternal  union, 
than  to  rebel  against  the  divine  order 
of  family  government,  instituted  for  a 
higher  salvation;  for  if  she  altogether 
turn  therefrom, she  will  receive  a  greater 
condemnation. 

Rule  12^.— Never  seek  to  prejudice 
the  mind  of  your  husband  against  any 
of  his  other  wives,  for  the  purpose  of 
exalting  yourself  in  his  estimation,  lest 
the  evil  which  you  unjustly  try  to  bring 
upon  them,  fall  with  double  weight 
upon  your  own  head.  Strive  to  rise 
in  favor  and  influence  with  your  hus- 
band by  your  own  merits,  and  not  by 
magnifying  the  faults  of  others. 

Rule  13th.— Seek  to  be  a  peace- 
maker in  the  family  with  whom  you 
are  associated.  If  you  see  the  least 
appearance  of  division  arising,  use  your 
utmost  efforts  to  restore  union  and 
soothe  the  feelings  of  all.  Soft  and 
gentle  words,  spoken  in  season,  will 
allay  contention  and  strife;  while  a 
hasty  spirit  and  harsh  language  add 
fuel  to  the  fire  already  kindled  which 
will  rage  with  increasing  violence. 

Rule  14th. — Speak  not  evil  of  your 
husband  unto  any  of  the  rest  of"  the 
family  for  the  purpose  of  prejudicing 
their  minds  against  him;  for  if  he  be 
informed  thereof,  it  will  injure  you  in 
his  estimation.  Neither  speak  evil  of 
any  members  of  the  family;    for  this 


17G 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


will  destroy  their  confidence  in  you. 
Avoid  all  hypocracy ;  for  if  you  pre- 
tend to  love  your  husband  and  to  honor 
and  respect  his  wives,  when  present, 
hut  speak  disrespectful  of  them  when 
absent,  you  will  be  looked  upon  as  a 
hypocrite,  as  a  tattler,  and  as  a  mis- 
chief-making woman,  and  be  shunned 
as  being  more  dangerous  than  an  open 
enemy.  And  what  is  still  more  de-- 
testable,  is  to  tattle  out  of  the  family, 
and  endeavor  to  create  enemies  against 
those  with  whom  you  are  connected. 
Such  persons  should  not  only  be  con- 
sidered hypocrites,  but  traitors,  and 
their  conduct  should  be  despised  by 
every  lover  of  righteousness.  Remem- 
ber also,  that  there  are  more  ways  than 
one  to  tattle ;  it  is  not  always  the  case 
that  those  persons  who  are  the  boldest 
in  their  accusations  that  are  the  most 
dangerous  slanderers;  but  such  as 
hypocritically  pretend  that  they  do  not 
wish  to  injure  their  friends,  and  at  the 
same 'time,  very  piously  insinuate  in 
dark  indirect  sayings,  something  that 
is  calculated  to  leave  a  very  unfavorable 
prejudice  against  them.  Shun  such  a 
spirit  as  you  would  the  very  gates  of  hell. 
Rule  15th. — If  you  see  any  of  your 
husband's  wives  sick  or  in  trouble,  use 
every  effort  to  relieve  them,  and  to  ad- 
minister kindness  and  consolations,  re- 
membering that  you,  yourself,  under 
the  same  circumstances,  would  be 
thankful  for  their  assistance.  Endeavor 
to  share  each  others  burdens,  according 
to  the  health,  ability,  and  strength 
which  God  has  given  you.  Do  not  be 
afraid  that  you  will  do  more  than  your 
share  of  the  domestic  labor,  or  that 
you  will  be  more  kind  to  them  than 
they  are  to  you. 


.  Rule  16 th.- — Let  each  mother  correct 
her  own  children,  and  see  that  they  do 
not  dispute  and  quarrel  with  each  other, 
nor  with  any  others ;  let  her  not  cor- 
rect the  children  of  the  others  without 
liberty  so  to  do,  lest  it  give  offence. 
The  husband  should  see  that  each 
mother  maintains  a  wise  and  proper 
discipline  over  her  children,  especially 
ih  their  younger  years :  and  it  is  his 
duty  to  see  that  all  of  his  children  are 
obedient  to  himself  and  to  their  re- 
spective mothers.  And  it  is  also  his 
duty  to  see  that  the  children  of  one 
wife  are  not  allowed  to  quarrel  and 
abuse  those  of  the  others,  neither  to  be 
disrespectful  or  impudent  to  any  branch 
of  his  family. 

Rule  17  th. — It  is  the  duty  of  parents 
to  instruct  their  children,  according  to 
their  capacities  in  every  principle  of 
the  gospel,  as  revealed  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon  and  in  the  revelations  which 
God  has  given,  that  they  may  grow  up 
in  righteousness,  and  in  the  fear  of  the 
Lord,  and  have  faith  in  Him.  Suffer 
no  wickedness  to  have  place  among 
them,  but  teach  them  the  right  way, 
and  see  that  they  walk  therein.  And 
let  the  husband,  and  his  wives,  and  all 
of  his  children  that  have  come  to  the 
years  of  understanding,  often  bow  be- 
fore the  Lord  around  the  family  altar, 
and  pray  vocally  and  unitedly  for  what- 
ever blessings  they  stand  in  need  of, 
remembering  that  where  there  are  union 
and  peace,  there  will  also  be  faith,  and 
hope,  and  the  love  of  God,  and  every 
good  work,  and  a  multiplicity  of  bless- 
ings, imparting  health  and  comfort  to 
the  body,  and  joy  and  life  to  the  soul. 

(Concluded  in  our  next  number.) 


-CONTENTS. 

Second  Epistle  of  Orson  Pratt. . . . .' 161 

Celestial  Marriage 169 


WASHINGTON  CITY,   D.   C. 

Edited  atcd  Published  by  Obson  Pbatt, 

at  $1  per  annum,  invariably  in  advance. 


All  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  He 
lifteth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains.— Isaiah  xvm,  3. 


Vol.  I. 


DECEMBER,  1853. 


No.   12. 


CHRISTIAN  POLYGAMY  IN  THE  SIXTEENTH  CENTURY. 


Anions  the  distinguished  Christian 
Reformers  and  celebrated  Divines  of 
the  sixteenth  century,  may  be  mention- 
ed the  names  of  Luther,  Melancthon, 
Bucer,  and  Melanther.  These  won- 
derful men  distinguished  themselves  in 
their  persevering,  bold,  and  fearless 
opposition  to  the  corrupt  powers  of 
Catholicism.  Although  not  called  and 
ordained  of  God  with  the  authority  of 
Apostles  and  Prophets  to  restore  the 
Church  of  God  to  the  earth,  yet  they 
were  Reformers ;  and  with  a  noble  en- 
ergy and  perseverance,  exposed,  in  a 
degree,  the  superstitions  and  wicked- 
ness of  the  Romish  Church ;  they  protes- 
ted against  their  blasphemous  doctrines 
and  pretentions ;  they  revolted  from 
the  jurisdiction  and  tyrannical  power  of 
the  Romish  Priesthood  ;  they  weaken- 
ed its  corrupting  influence  among  the 
nations :  they  laid  the  foundation  of 
more  liberal  principles ;  opened  the 
way  for  the  nations  to  burst  the  bonds 
of  religious  despotism ;  and  planted 
the  seeds  of  civil  and  religious  liberty, 
which  have  continued  to  grow  and 
spread  until  millions  now  bask  under 
the  extended  branches.  It  was  for  these 
great  and  noble  purposes  that  God 
moved  upon  the  hearts  of  these  men  to 
boldly  protest  against  a  power  that  had 
become  tyrannical  and  formidable  to  an 
alarming  degree :  it  was  to  restore,  in 
some  small  degree,  that  freedom  and  in- 


dependence of  mind,  so  necessary  to  the 
improvement  and  happiness  of  man ; 
it  was  to  open  a  door  for  advancement 
in  the  sciences  and  arts  without  be- 
ing trammelled  with  the  bigoted  op- 
position of  priestcraft.  Though  they 
were  raised  up  to  accomplish  these 
great  and  desirable  purposes,  yet  they 
could  not  restore  the  Church  of  God 
to  the  earth  ;  for  this  was  not  their 
calling.  They  were  called  to  lay  the 
foundation  of  a  reformation  which 
should  eventually  terminate  in  the  es- 
tablishment of  Governments  favorable 
to  liberty  of  conscience,  that  when  the 
Church  should  be  restored,  men  might 
be  free  to  embrace  its  principles.  They 
and  their  successors  who  have  followed 
in  their  steps,  were  called  as  fore-run- 
ners to  prepare  the  way  before  the 
Church  when  it  should  once  more  have 
place  on  the  earth. 

These  celebrated  Reformers  advoca- 
ted Christianity  so  far  as  they  under- 
stood its  principles.  Many  Romish  su- 
perstitions which  had  been  palmed  up- 
on the  world  for  Christianity,  were  a- 
bolished :  many  Christian  institutions 
which  had  been  abolished  by  the  Rom- 
ish Priesthood,  were,  in  a  measure,  re- 
stored, at  last  in  form ;  among  which 
may  be  mentioned  Polygamy.  The 
Romanists  had  not  only  forbidden  mar- 
riage to  her  priests,  but  had  abolished 
the   Divine  institution   of  Polygamy 


178 


CHRISTIAN  POLYGAMY  IN  THE  SIXTEENTH  CENTURY. 


which  was  practiced  in  early  ages  when 
pure  Christianity  was  on  the  earth. 

While  Polygamy  flourished  iu  the 
Christian  Church,  the  Roman  nation 
were  in  favor  of  Monogamy  or  the  one 
wife  system,  and  established  laws,  pro- 
hibiting a  plurality  of  wives  among 
their  citizens.  The  Christian  Church 
in  that  nation  were  obliged  to  relin- 
quish the  Divine  institution  of  Polyg- 
amy, and  submit  to  the  Roman  laws 
under  heavy  penalties.  At  length, 
through  priestcraft  and  tradition  the 
Church  was  made  to  believe  that  the 
Monogamy,  established  by  the  Roman 
civil  law,  was  actually  a  part  of  Chris- 
tianity. This  delusion,  concocted  at 
the  head  quarters  of  the  so-called 
Christian  Church,  gradually  extended 
itself  to  the  surrounding  nations,  and 
other  branches  of  the  Christian  Church 
adopted  it,  and  relinquished  the  Polyg- 
amic system.  The  one  wife  system 
did  not  originate  in  the  Christian 
Church,  but  was  adopted  from  the 
practice  of  the  Roman  nation  by  the 
Romish  Priesthood,  and  by  them  palm- 
ed upon  the  nations  as  originating  in 
Christianity.  "  Julius  Caesar  attempt- 
ed to  have  a  law  passed  in  favor  of 
Polygamy,  but  could  not  effect  it." 
The  Romans  were  too  much  opposed 
to  the  practices  of  Jews  and  Christians 
to  permit  this  Divine  institution  to 
have  free  tolerance.  And  the  Romish 
Church  followed  in  the  footsteps  of 
their  nation  and  were  unwilling  to  have 
this  Christian  and  Jewish  practice  con- 
tinued within  their  ecclesiastical  code. 
Many  centuries  passed  away,  during 
which  the  common  people  were  not 
permitted  to  read  the  manuscript  copies 
of  the  Bible  for  themselves,  and  they 
were  traditioned  by  their  priests  to  be- 
lieve that  Monogamy  was  a  Christian 
institution,  and  that  Polygamy  was 
forbidden.  This  delusive  tradition 
was  riveted  more  and  more  firmly  upon 
the  minds  of  the  people  by  the  practi- 
ces and  teaching  of  each  succeeding 
generation  of  Christendom,  until  even 
whole  nations  in  the  western  world 
were  influenced  to  make  laws  prohibit- 
in  o-  Polygamy,  as  something  which 
tradition  had  taught  them  was  un- 
christian. 


While  the  world  was  thus  over- 
whelmed in  darkness,  following  the 
false  traditions  and  superstitions  of  the 
Papists,  the  great  Reformers,  Martin 
Luther,  Philip  Melancthon,  Martin  Bu- 
cer,  Dennis  Melanther,  and  numerous 
other  German  Divines,  introduced  a 
wonderful  reformation  in  many  things: 
among  which  they  re-established  the 
right  of  their  priests  to  marry;  and 
again  permitted  the  Divine  institution 
of  Polygamy  to  exist  in  the  Church. 

Philip,  Landgrave  of  Hesse,  one  of 
the  principal  Lords  and  Princes  of 
Germany,  wrote  to  the  great  Reformer, 
Martin  Luther,  and  to  the  principal 
heads  of  the  reformation,  anxiously 
imploring  them  to  grant  unto  him  the 
privilege  of  marrying  a  second  wife, 
while  the  first  wife,  his  Princess,  was 
yet  living.  Many  arguments  were 
urged  by  the  Landgrave,  showing  that 
the  practice  was  in  accordance  with 
the  Bible,  and  not  prohibited  under 
the  Christian  dispensation.  Upon  the 
reception  of  this  information,  Luther, 
who  had  from  the  beginning  of  the 
reformation  favored  Polygamy,  met  in 
council  with  the  principal  Christian 
Divines  to  consult  upon  the  propriety 
of  granting  the  request  of  Lord  Philip; 
after  considering  upon  the  subject,  they 
addressed  to  him  a  lengthy  letter,  grant- 
ing him  his  request;  at  the  same  time 
earnestly  exhorting  him  to  live  a  virtu- 
ous and  upright  life.  The  letter  com- 
mences as  follows : 

uTo  the  most  serene  Prince  and  Lord 
Philip  Land g rave  of  Hesse,  Count 
of  Catzenlembogen,  of  Diets,  of  Zie- 
genhain,  and  Nidda,  our  gracious 
Lord,  we  wish  above  all  things  the 
Grace  of  God  through  Christ : 
"I.     We   have   been   informed   by 
Bucer,  and  in  the  instruction  which 
your  Highness  gave  him,  have  read, 
the  trouble  of  mind  and  the  uneasiness 
of  conscience  your  Highness  is  under 
at  this  present ;  and  although  it  seemed 
to  us  very  difficult  so  speedily  to  an- 
swer the  doubts  proposed ;  nevertheless 
we  should  not  permit  the  said  Bucer, 
who  was  urgent  for  his  return  to  your 
Highness  to  go  away  without  an  an- 
swer in  writing." 


CHRISTIAN  POLYGAMY  IN  THE  SIXTEENTH  CENTURY. 


179 


Then  follows  a  lengthy  exhortation 
"to  the  Prince  to  live  a  life  of  virtue  as 
;a  remedy  to  promote  his  health ;  for 
say  they, 

"  If  your  Highness,  after  marrying  a 
second  wife,  were  not  to  forsake  those 
licentious  disorders,  the  remedy  pro- 
posed would  be  to  no  purpose.'' 

In  the  twenty-first  paragraph,  they 
counsel  the  Landgrave  to  keep  his 
second  marriage  a  secret  from  the  pub- 
lic at  large,  and  that  only  a  few  trusty 
persons  should  be  present  at  the  cele- 
bration.    This  counsel  is  as  follows: 

"  XXI.  But  after  all,  if  your  High- 
ness is  fully  resolved  to  marry  a  second 
wife,  we  judge  it  ought  to  be  done 
secretly,  as  we  have  said  with  respect 
to  the  dispensation  demanded  on  the 
same  account,  that  is,  that  none  but 
the  person  you  shall  wed,  and  a  few 
trusty  persons,  know  of  the  matter,  and 
they,  too,  obliged  to  secresy  under  the 
seal  of  confession.  Hence  no  contra- 
diction nor  scandal  of  moment  need  be 
apprehended ;  for  it  is  no  extraordinary 
thing  for  Princes  to  keep  concubines  ; 
and  though  the  vulgar  should  be  scan- 
dalized thereat,  the  more  intelligent 
would  doubt  of  the  truth,  and  prudent 
persons  would  approve  of  this  moderate 
kind  of  life,  preferable  to  adultery,  and 
other  brutal  actions.  There  is  no  need 
of  being  much  concerned  for  what  men 
will  say,  provided  all  goes  right  with 
conscience.  So  far  do  we  approve  it, 
and  in  those  circumstances  only  by  us 
specified ;  for  the  Gospel  hath  neither 
recalled  nor  forbid  what  was  permitted 
in  the  law  of  Moses  with  respect  to 
marriage.  Jesus  Christ  has  not  chang- 
ed the  external  economy,  but  added 
justice  only,  and  life-everlasting  for  re- 
ward. He  teaches  the  true  way  of 
obeying  God,  and  endeavors  to  repair 
the  corruption  of  nature. 

"  Your  Highness  hath  therefore,  in 
this  writing,  not  only  the  approbation 
of  us  all,  in  case  of  necessity,  con- 
cerning what  you  desire,  but  also  the 
reflections  we  have  made  thereupon ; 
we  beseech  you  to  weigh  them,  as  be- 
coming a  virtuous,  wise,  and  Christian 
Prince.  We  also  beg  of  God  to  direct 
all  for  his  glory  and  your  Highness's 
salvation." 


The  letter  closes  with  these  words : 
"  May  God  preserve  your  Highness. 
We  are  most  ready  to  serve  your  High- 
ness. Given  at  Wittemberg  the  Wed- 
nesday after  the  feast  of  Saint  Nicholas, 
1539. 

"  Your  Highness's  most  humble,  and 
most  obedient  subjects  and  servants,    ■ 
Martin  Luther, 
Philip  Melancthon, 
Martin  Buoer, 
Antony  Corvin, 
Adam, 

John  Levingue, 
Justus  Wintferte, 
Dennis  Melanther." 

This  letter  is  in  Melancthon's  own 
hand-writing,  as  the  following  testimo- 
ny clearly  shows : 

"  I  George  Nuspicher,  Notary  Impe- 
rial, bear  testimony  by  this  present  act, 
written  and  signed  with  my  own  hand, 
that  I  have  transcribed  this  present 
copy  from  the  true  original  which  is  in 
Melancthon's  own  hand-writing,  and 
hath  been  faithfully  preserved  to  this 
present  time,  at  the  request  of  the  most 
serene  Prince  of  Hesse ;  and  have  ex- 
amined with  the  greatest  exactness 
every  line  and  every  word,  and  collated 
them  with  the  same  original ;  and  have 
found  them  conformable  thereunto,  not 
only  in  the  things  themselves  but  also 
in  the  signs  manuel,  and  have  deliver- 
ed the  present  copy  in  five  leaves  of 
good  paper,  whereof  I  bear  witness. 
George  Nuspicher, 

Notary." 

Having  given  extracts  from  the  let- 
ter written  by  this  Council  of  Protest- 
ant Christian  Divines,  permitting  and 
approbating  Polygamy  in  their  Church, 
we  will  next  give  the  Marriage  Contract 
into  which  the  Landgrave  and  his  sec- 
ond spouse  entered,  and  also  the  oath 
of  Marriage  administered  to  them  by 
the  Reverend  Dennis  Melanther,  preach- 
er to  his  Highness. 

"The  Marriage  Contract  of  Philip, 
Landgrave  of  Hesse,  with  Margaret 
de  Baal. 

uIn  the  name  of  God,  Amen. 
"  Be  it  known  to  all  those,  as  well  in 

general  as  in  particular,  who  shall  see, 


mo 


CHRISTIAN  POLYGAMY  IN  THE  SIXTEENTH  CENTURY. 


hear,  or  read  this  public  instrument, 
that  in  the  year  1540,  on  Wednesday, 
the  fourth  day  of  the  month  of  March, 
at  two  o'clock  or  thereabouts  in  the 
afternoon,  the  thirteenth  year  of  the 
Indiction,  and  the  twenty-first  of  the 
reign  of  the  most  puissant  and  most 
victorious   Emperor   Charles  VI.,  our 
most  gracious  Lord ;  the  most  serene 
Prince  and  Lord,  Philip,  Landgrave  of 
Hesse,   Count   of   Catznelenbogen,   of 
Dietz,  of  Ziegenbain,  and  Nidda,  with 
some  of  his  Highness's  Counsellors,  on 
one  side,  and  the  good  and  virtuous 
Lady  Margaret  cle  Saal  with  some  of 
her  relatives,  on  the  other  side,  have 
appeared  before  me,  Notary  and  wit- 
ness underwritten,  in  the  city  of  Rot  en- 
burg,  in  the  castle  of  the  same  city, 
with  the  design  and  will  publicly  to 
unite  themselves  by  marriage ;  and  ac- 
cordingly my  most  gracious  Lord  and 
Prince  Philip  the  Landgrave  hath  or- 
dered this  to  be  proposed  by  the  Rev- 
erend Denis  Melander,  preacher  to  his 
Highness,  much  to  the  sense  as  follows : 
'  Whereas  the  eye  of  God  searches  all 
things,  and  but  little  escapes  the  know- 
ledge  of  men,  his  Highness   declares 
that  his  will  is  to  wed  the  said  Lady 
Margaret  de  Saal,  although  the  Prin- 
cess his  wife  be  still  living,  and  that 
this  action  may  not  be  imputed  to  in- 
constancy or  curiosity  :  to  avoid  scan- 
dal and  maintain  the  honor  of  the  said 
Lady,  and  the  reputation  of  her  kin- 
dred, his   Highness  makes  oath  here 
before  God,  and   upon   his   soul   and 
conscience,  that  he  takes  her  to  wife 
through  no  levity,  nor  curiosity,  nor 
from  any  contempt  of  law,  or  superiors ; 
but  that  he  is  obliged  to  it  by  such 
important,  such  inevitable  necessities  of 
body  and  conscience,  that  it  is  impossi- 
ble for  him  to  save  either  body  or  soul, 
without  adding  another  wife  to  his  first. 
All  which  his  Highness  hath  laid  be- 
fore  many  learned,    devout,    prudent, 
and  Christian  preachers,  and  consulted 
them  upon  it.     And  these  great  men, 
after  examining  the  motives  represented 
to  them,  have  advised  his  Highness  to 
put  his  soul  and  conscience  at  ease  by 
this  double  marriage.     And  the  same 
cause   and    the   same   necessity   have 
obliged  the  most  serene  Princess  Chris- 


tina, Duchess  of  Saxony,  his  Highness's 
first  lawful  wife,  out  of  her  great  pru- 
dence and  sincere  devotion  for  which 
she  is  so  much  to  be  commended,  freely 
to  consent  and  admit  of  a  partner,  to 
the  end,  that  the  soul  and  body  of  her 
most  dear  spouse  may  run  no  further 
risk,  and  the  glory  of  God  may  be  in- 
creased, as  the  deed  written  with  the 
Princess's  own  hand  sufficiently  testi- 
fies. And  lest  occasion  of  scandal  be 
taken  from  its  not  being  the  custom 
to  have  two  wives,  although  this  be 
Christian  and  lawful  in  the  present 
case,  his  Highness  will  not  solemnize 
these  nuptials  in  the  ordinary  way, 
that  is,  publicly  before  many  people, 
and  with  the  wonted  ceremonies,  with 
the  said  Margaret  de  Saal ;  but  both 
the  one  and  the  other  will  join  them- 
selves in  wedlock,  privately  and  without 
noise,  in  presence  only  of  the  witnesses 
underwritten.'  After  Melander  had 
finished  his  discourse,  the  said  Philip 
and  the  said  Margaret  accepted  of  each 
other  for  husband  and  wife,  and  prom- 
ised mutual  fidelity  in  the  name  of  God. 
The  said  Prince  hath  required  of  me, 
Notary  underwritten,  to  draw  him  one 
or  more  collated  copies  of  this  contract, 
and  hath  also  promised  on  the  word 
and  faith  of  a  Prince,  to  me  a  public 
person,  to  observe  it  inviolably,  always 
and  without  alteration,  in  presence  of 
the  Rev.  and  most  learned  masters,. 
Philip  Melancthon,  Martin  Bucer,  Denis 
Melander;  and  likewise  in  the  presence 
of  the  illustrious  and  valiant  Eberhard 
de  Than,  counsellor  of  his  electoral 
Highness  of  Saxony,  Herman  de  Mais- 
berg,  Herman  de  Hundelshausen,  the 
Lord  John  Fegg  of  the  Chancery,  Ro- 
dulph  Schenek;  and  also  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  most  honorable  and  most 
virtuous  Lady  Anne,  of  the  family  of 
Miltiz,  widow  of  the  late  John  de  Saal, 
and  mother  of  the  Spouse,  all  in  quality 
of  requisite  witnesses  for  the  validity  of 
the  present  act. 

"  And  I,  Balthasar  Rand,  of  Fuld, 
notary  public  imperial,  who  was  pres- 
ent at  the  discourse,  instruction,  mar- 
riage, espousals,  and  union  aforesaid, 
with  the  said  witnesses,  and  have  heard 
and  seen  all  that  passed,  have  written 
and  subscribed  the  present  contract, 


CHRISTIAN  POLYGAMY  IN  THE  SIXTEENTH  CENTURA. 


181 


being  requested  so  to  do;  and  set  to  it 
the  usual  seal  for  a  testimonial  of  the 
truth  thereof. 

BALTHASAR  RAND." 

These  extracts  have  been  taken  from 
the  1st  volume  of  a  work  entitled, "  His- 
tory of  the  Variations  of  the  Protest- 
ant, Churches,"  by  James  Benign  Bos- 
suet.  They  have  also  been  extensively 
published  in  other  works. 

These  celebrated  Protestant  Divines 
and  great  Christian  Reformers  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  have  thus  most  clear- 
ly decided  that  "  the  Gospel  hath  nei- 
ther recalled  nor  forbid  what  was  per- 
mitted in  the  law  of  Moses  with  respect 
to  MarriageP  And  in  accordance  with 
these  sentiments,  they  most  freely  de- 
clare to  the  Landgrave  that,  "  Your 
Highness  hath  therefore,  in  this  wri- 
ting" "  the  approbation  of  us  all  con- 
cerning what  you  desire.'1'1  And  "  The 
Reverend  Denis  Melander,  preacher  to 
his  Highness,'1''  administered  the  oath 
of  marriage  and  solemnized  the  nup- 
tial ceremony  in  the  name  of  God,  de- 
claring that "  to  have  two  wives'''  was  both 
"  Christian  and  lawful ;"  while,  like 
Sarah,  Leah,  and  Rachel — Abram  and 
Jacob's  wives,  "  the  most  serene  Princess 
Christina,  Duchess  of  Saxony,  h  is  High- 
ness's  first  lawful  wife,''''  freely  consented 
and  admitted  "of  a  partner"  "as  the 
deed  written  with  the  Princess's  own 
hand  sufficiently  testifies" 

These  Reverend  preachers  did  not 
come  to  a  hasty  conclusion  that  Polyg- 
amy was  approbated  by  the  Gospel ;  for 
Luther,  "  in  a  sermon  which  he  deliver- 
ed at  Wittemberg,  for  the  reformation  of 
Marriage,"  in  speaking  of  wives,  says  : 

"  If  they  are  stubborn,  it  is  fitting 
their  husbands  should  tell  them,  if  you 
will  not,  another  will ;  if  the  mistress 
refuse  to  come,  let  the  maid  be  called." 

This  "sermon  was  pronounced  in 
1522,"  some  eighteen  years  before  they 
gave  a  written  permission  to  the  Land- 
grave to  become  a  Christian  Polyga- 
mist ;  hence,  it  will  be  perceived  that 
their  conclusions  in  regard  to  the  Di- 
vine approbation  of  Polygamy,  were 
formed  after  many  years  reflection  upon 
the  subject. 

Having  proved  that  the  heads  of  the 


Protestant  Reformation  in  Germany 
approbated  Polygamy  in  their  Church, 
we  will  next  show  that  at  the  same  pe- 
riod the  supreme  head  and  founder  of 
the  Church  of  England — Henry  VIII, 
was  a  Polygamist.  This  King,  having 
been  married  for  upwards  of  twenty 
years  to  Catharine  of  Arragon,  became 
deeply  in  love  with  Anne  Boleyn ;  and 
in  the  year  1532,  he  was  privately  mar- 
ried to  her,  while  Catharine  still  re- 
mained his  lawful  wife.  This  second 
marriage,  like  that  of  the  German 
Prince,  was  celebrated  in  secret  through, 
fear  of  public  scandal ;  for  it  should  be 
remembered,  that  through  the  delusive 
influence  of  the  Romish  church,  the 
most  of  the  people  had  been  tradition- 
ed  to  believe  that  Polygamy  was  un- 
christian ;  hence,  it  became,  in  their 
estimation,  scandalous;  and  those  who 
believed  to  the  contrary,  and  wished  to 
practice  this  Divine  institution,  were 
under  the  painful  necessity  of  keeping 
their  marriage  contracts  with  their  sec- 
ond wives  partially  secret,  onlv  permit- 
ting a  few  trusty  friends  to  witness  the 
same. 

The  king,  after  having  been  privately 
married  to  Anne  Boleyn,  his  second 
wife,  through  fear  of  being  scandalized 
as  a  Polygamist,  sought  for  a  divorce 
from  his  first  wife,  Catharine ;  but  the 
head  of  the  Romish  Church  would  not 
sanction  his  proceedings,  whereupon, 
the  King  forthwith  proclaimed  himself 
the  supreme  head  of  the  church,  and 
invented  new  Articles  of  Religion,  and 
enforced  the  same  upon  the  people 
under  the  penalty  of  martyrdom.  Some, 
refusing  to  acknowledge  him  as  head 
of  the  church,  were  shamefully  tortured 
and  put  to  death.  Thus  was  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  great  and  popular 
church  of  England  ;  its  first  celebrated 
head  and  founder,  being  a  polygamist. 

It  is  evident  that  the  more  intelligent 
and  learned  portion  of  England  con- 
sidered Polygamy  perfectly  consistant 
with  Christianity,  or  they  never  would 
have  confirmed  by  Parliamentary  acts, 
the  title  of  "  Supreme  Head  of  the 
Church  "  upon  their  Polygamist  King. 
It  is  in  vain  for  the  church  of  England 
to  say  that  Polygamy  is  not  sanctioned 
by  the  gospel,  so  long  as  they  acknow- 


182 


CHRISTIAN  POLYGAMY  IN  THE  SIXTEENTH  CENTURY. 


ledge  that  the  very  founder  and   head 
of  their  church  was  a  Polygamic, 

Though  Polygamy  is  a  Divine  insti- 
tution, yet  both  the  German  and  Eng- 
lish Reformers  were  not  justified,  in  the 
absence  of  an  inspired  Priesthood,  in 
officiating  in  the  nuptial  ceremonies. 
Not  having  the  Priesthood,  they  had 
no  authority  to  officiate  in  a  divine 
ordinance.  Though  Polygamy  was 
practiced  in  unrighteousness,  under  the 
sanction  and  approbation  of  the  great 
Christian  Divines  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, yet  it  proves  most  conclusively, 
that  those  Divines  did  sincerely  believe 
it  to  be  just  as  legal  and  lawful  for  a 
Christian  to  have  two  wives  as  to  have 
one  only ;  and  they,  no  eloubt  acted  in 
all  good  conscience  in  accordance  with 
their  firm  conviction. 

Thus  Polygamy,  after  having  been 
abolished  for  many  centuries  from  the 
churches  of  Christendom,  was  again  re- 
instituted  therein   by  the  most   cele- 
brated Reformers  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury.    But  they  dare  not,  through  fear 
of  scandal,  publicly  proclaim  this  divine 
institution.     It   remained  for   the  Re- 
nowned Prophet  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, Joseph  Smith,  to  restore  this  di- 
vine institution  in  all  its  original  purity 
to  the   earth,  by  the  word   and   com- 
mandment of  the  Most  High  God.     R 
remained  for  the  inspired  Apostles  and 
Elders  of  the  restored  Church  of  God, 
to    publicly    announce   to    all    nations 
the  re-institution  of  this   sacred  and 
Christian  ordinance.     They  do  not  fear 
the  scandal  of  the  deluded  fanatics  of 
an  apostate  church :  they  do  not  tremble 
to  announce  in  the  presence  of  an  apos- 
tate priesthood,  the  beauty  and  holiness 
of  the  Divine  institution  of  Marriage, 
whether  including  one  or  more  wives : 
they  are  not  ashamed  to  practice  and 
proclaim  publicly,  that  which  the  Pro- 
testant Divines,  though   convinced  of 
its  righteousness  and  purity,  dare  only 
approbate   in    secret.     But  in    saying 
this,  we  would  not  boast,  neither  would 
we  speak  disrespectfully  of  the  timidity 
of    those   good    Christian    Reformers ; 
they  were  not  sent  to  restore  the  Chris- 
tian Church  to  the  earth  with   all  its 
heavenly    ordinances    and   principles ; 
and  not  being;  sent  and  clothed  with 


the  power  of  the  everlasting  Priesthood!, 
they  could  not  speak  as  men  having 
authority,  and  consequently  were  timid, 
and  afraid  of  scandal,  and  approbated 
Polygamy  privately ;  this  care  or  pru- 
dence was  no  doubt  best,  under  the 
strong  power  of  tradition  and  other 
circumstances  with  which  they  were 
surrounded. 

But  "  the  times  of  the  restitution  of 
all  things  which  God  hath  spoken  by 
the  mouth  of  all  his  holy  prophets  since 
the  world  began  "  are  at  hand,  prepara- 
tory to   the  coming  of  Jesus    Christ, 
whom  the  heavens  must  receive  until 
the  restitution  of  all  things  is  completed, 
when  he  will  again  be  sent  to  take  unto 
himself  his  great  power  and  reign  over 
all  people.     Among  the  "  all  things  " 
which    the    prophets    have   predicted 
should  be  restored  before  the  Messiah 
comes  is  Polygamy.     The  holy  prophet 
Isaiah  predicted,  that  in  the  day  that 
the  cloud  and  fire  should  be  restored 
to  the  earth,  as  should  be  manifested 
upon  all  the  assemblies  and  dwelling- 
places  of  Zion,  every  one  in  that  city 
should  be  called  holy  and  should  be 
beautiful  and  glorious,  and  that  seven 
women  would  take  hold  of  one  man, 
anxiously  imploring  him  to  let  them 
be  called  by  his  name  to  take  away 
their    reproach,    at    the    same    time, 
promising  that  they  would  be  no  ex- 
pense to  him,  but  would  agree  to  eat 
their  own  bread  and  wear  their  own 
apparel,  if  he  would  only  become  their 
husband  and  let  them  be  called  by  his 
name.     Thus  we  see  that  the  Messiah 
never  would  come,  unless  Polygamy 
were  restored  to  the  Christian  Church  ; 
for  the  heavens  must  receive  him  until 
all  things  are  restored  which  all  the 
holy  prophets  have  predicted.     If  any 
should  suppose  that  this  prediction,  so 
far  as  Polygamy  is  concerned,  was  ful- 
filled by  the  early  protestants,  we  reply, 
that  it  is  true  that  the  protestant  Di- 
vines restored  Polygamy,  but  in  their 
day  we  have   an   account  of  only  two^ 
women  taking  hold  of  one  man,   by 
their  approbation,  whereas  Isaiah  says 
expressly,    that   it   is   to    be    SEVEN 
WOMEN  who  are  to  do  this :  there- 
fore, though  it  cannot  but  be  admitted 
that  the  Reformers  restored  Polygamy,, 


CELESTIAL  MARRIAGE. 


183 


yet  they  cannot  claim  the  honor  of 
having  restored  it  in  the  full  sense  of 
Isaiah's  prediction.  This  honor  was 
reserved  for  a  people  who  should  he 
called  Zion,  where  all  should  eventually 
be  called  beautiful,  and  glorious,  and 
holy.  The  pure  and  virtuous  daughters 
of  Zion  will  consider  it  a  great  reproach 
to  remain  single  and  have  no  posterity  : 
hence,  their  exceedingly  great  anxiety 
for  husbands,  that  their  reproach  may 
be  taken  away.  They  will  learn  that 
a  woman  cannot,  through  her  own 
carelessness  or  neglect,  fail  to  fulfil  the 
end  of  her  creation,  without  bringing 
upon  herself  everlasting  reproach,  as 
well   as   condemnation  for  disobeying 


the  Lord's  great  and  first  command- 
ment to  multiply.  Oh,  how  different 
will  be  their  feelings  from  those  now 
manifested  by  females  traditioned 
under  papist  and  protestant  super- 
stitions !  Surely  there  must  be  some 
mighty  changes  and  revolutions  when 
all  things  that  the  ancient  prophets 
have  predicted  shall  be  restored  !  Poly- 
gamy, as  well  as  Monogamy,  will  then 
be  honored  by  all  the  heavenly  hosts 
above,  and  by  all  the  nations  of  the 
righteous  upon  the  earth ;  and  there 
will  not  be  so  much  as  a  dog  to  move 
his  tongue  against  any  of  the  insti- 
tutions of  the  Bible. 

EDITOR. 


CELESTIAL   MARRIAGE 

(Concluded.) 


Ride  18th. — Let  each  mother  com- 
mence with  her  children  when  young, 
not  only  to  teach  and  instruct  them, 
but  to  chasten  and  bring  them  into  the 
most  perfect  subjection ;  for  then  is 
the  time  that  they  are  the  most  easily 
conquered,  and  their  tender  minds  are 
the  most  susceptible  of  influences  and 
government.  Many  mothers  from  care- 
lessness neglect  their  children,  and  only 
attempt  to  govern  them  at  long  inter- 
vals, when  they  most  generally  find 
their  efforts  of  no  lasting  benefit ;  for 
the  children  having  been  accustomed 
to  have  their  own  way,  do  not  easily 
yield ;  and  if  peradventure  they  do 
yield,  it  is  only  for  the  time  being, 
until  the  mother  relaxes  again  into 
carelessness,  when  they  return  again  to 
their  accustomed  habits:  and  thus  by 
habit  they  become  more  and  more  con- 
firmed in  disobedience,  waxing  worse 
and  worse,  until  the  mother  becomes 
discouraged,  and  relinquishes  all  dis- 
cipline, and  complains  that  she  cannot 
make  her  children  mind.  The  fault  is 
not  so  much  in  the  children,  as  in  the 
carelessness  and  neglect  of  the  mother 
when  the  children  were  young;  it  is 
she  that  must  answer,  in  a  great  de- 
gree, for  the  evil  habits  and  disobe- 
dience of  the  children.     She  is  more 


directly  responsible  than  the  father ; 
for  it  cannot  be  expected  that  the  father 
can  always  find  time,  apart  from  the 
laborious  duties  required  of  him,  to 
correct  and  manage  his  little  children 
who  are  at  home  with  their  mothers. 
It  is  frequently  the  case  that  the  father 
is  called  to  attend  to  duties  in  public 
life,  and  may  be  absent  from  home 
much  of  his  time,  when  the  whole  duty 
of  family  government  necessarily  rests 
upon  the  respective  mothers  of  his 
children ;  if  they,  through  carelessness, 
suffer  their  children  to  grow  up  in  dis- 
obedience and  ruin  themselves,  they 
must  bear  the  shame  and  disgrace 
thereof.  Some  mothers,  though  not 
careless,  and  though  they  feel  the 
greatest  anxiety  for  the  welfare  of  their 
children,  yet,  through  a  mistaken  notion 
of  love  for  them,  forbear  to  punish  them 
when  they  need  punishment,  or  if  they 
undertake  to  conquer  them,  their  ten- 
derness and  pity  are  so  great,  that  they 
prevail  over  the  judgment,  and  the 
children  are  left  unconquered,  and  be- 
come more  determined  to  resist  all 
future  efforts  of  their  mothers  until,  at 
length,  they  conclude  that  their  chil- 
dren have  a  more  stubborn  disposition 
than  others,  and  that  it  is  impossible 
to  subject  them  in  obedience.     In  this 


184 


CELESTIAL  MARRIAGE. 


case,  as  in  that  of  neglect,  the  fault  is 
the  mothers.  The  stubbornness  of  the 
children,  for  the  most  part,  is  the  effect 
of  the  mother's  indulgence,  arising  from 
her  mistaken  idea  of  love.  By  that 
which  she  calls  love,  she  ruins  her 
children. 

Children  between  one  and  two  years 
of  age  are  capable  of  being  made  to 
understand  many  things ;  then  is  the 
time  to  begin  with  them.  How  often 
we  see  children  of  that  age  manifest 
much  anger.  Frequently  by  crying 
through  anger,  they  that  are  otherwise 
healthy,  injure  themselves :  it  is  far 
better,  in  such  instances,  for  a  mother 
to  correct  her  child  in  a  gentle  manner, 
though  with  decision  and  firmness, 
until  she  conquers  it,  and  causes  it  to 
cease  crying,  than  to  suffer  that  habit 
to  increase.  When  the  child  by  gentle 
punishment  has  learned  this  one  lesson 
from  its  mother,  it  is  much  more  easily 
conquered  and  brought  into  subjection 
in  other  things,  until  finally,  by  a  little 
perseverance  on  the  part  of  the  mother, 
it  learns  to  be  obedient  to  her  voice  in 
all  things ;  and  obedience  becomes  con- 
firmed into  a  permanent  habit.  Such 
a  child  trained  by  a  negligent  or  over- 
indulgent  mother,  might  have  become 
confirmed  in  habits  of  stubbornness  and 
disobedience.  It  is  not  so  much  in  the 
original  constitution  of  children  as  in 
their  training,  that  causes  such  wide 
differences  in  their  dispositions.  It 
cannot  be  denied,  that  there  is  a  dif- 
ference in  the  constitution  of  children 
even  from  their  birth ;  but  this  dif- 
ference is  mostly  owing  to  the  proper 
or  improper  conduct  of  parents,  as  be- 
fore stated  ;  therefore,  even  for  this  dif- 
ference, parents  are  more  or  less  re- 
sponsible. If  parents,  through  their 
own  evil  conduct  entail  hereditary  dis- 
positions upon  their  children  which  are 
calculated  to  ruin  them,  unless  properly 
curtailed  and  overcome,  they  should 
realise,  that  for  that  evil  they  must 
render  an  account.  If  parents  have 
been  guilty  in  entailing  upon  their  off- 
spring unhappy  dispositions,  let  them 
repent,  by  using  all  diligence  to  save 
them  from  the  evil  consequences  which 
will  naturally  result  by  giving  way  to 
those   dispositions.     The   greater   the 


derangement,  the  greater  must  be  the 
remedy,  and  the  more  skilful  and 
thorough  should  be  its  application,  until 
that  which  is  sown  in  evil  is  overcome 
and  completely  subdued.  In  this  way 
parents  may  save  themselves  and  their 
children;  but  otherwise  there  is  con- 
demnation. Therefore,  we  repeat  again, 
let  mothers  begin  to  discipline  their 
children  when  young. 

Rule  \Qth. — Do  not  correct  children 
in  anger;  an  angry  parent  is  not  as 
well  prepared  to  judge  of  the  amount 
of  punishment  which  should  be  inflicted 
upon  a  child,  as  one  that  is  more  cool 
and  exercised  with  reflection,  reason, 
and  judgment.  Let  your  children  see 
that  you  puni&h  them,  not  to  gratify  an 
angry  disposition,  but  to  reform  them 
for  their  good,  and  it  will  have  a  salu- 
tary influence  ;  they  will  not  look  upon 
you  as  a  tyrant,  swayed  to  and  fro  by 
turbulent  and  furious  passions ;  but 
they  will  regard  you  as  one  that  seeks 
their  welfare,  and  that  you  only  chasten 
them  because  you  love  them,  and  wish 
them  to  do  well.  Be  deliberate  and 
calm  in  your  counsels  and  reproofs,  but 
at  the  same  time  use  earnestness  and 
decision.  Let  your  children  know  that 
your  words  must  be  respected  and 
obeyed. 

Rule  20th. — Never  deceive  your  chil- 
dren by  threatnings  or  promises.  Be 
careful  not  to  threaten  them  with  a 
punishment  which  you  have  no  inten- 
tion of  inflicting;  for  this  will  cause 
them  to  lose  confidence  in  your  word  ; 
besides,  it  will  cause  them  to  contract 
the  habit  of  lying  :  when  they  perceive 
that  their  parents  do  not  fulfil  their 
threatenings  or  promises,  they  will  con- 
sider that  there  is  no  harm  in  forfeiting 
their  word.  Think  not  that  your  pre- 
cepts, concerning  truthfulness,  will  have 
much  weight  upon  the  minds  of  your 
children,  when  they  are  contradicted 
by  your  examples.  Be  careful  to  fulfil 
your  word  in  all  things  in  righteous- 
ness, and  your  children  will  not  only 
learn  to  be  truthful  from  your  example, 
but  they  will  fear  to  disobey  your  word, 
knowing  that  you  never  fail  to  punish 
or  reward  according  to  your  threatnings 
and  promises.  Let  your  laws,  penalties, 
and  rewards  be  founded  upon  the  prin- 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


185 


ciples  of  justice  and  mercy,  and  adapted 
to  the  capacities  of  your  children ;  for 
this  is  the  way  that  our  heavenly  Father 
governs  His  children,  giving  to  some 
a  Celestial ;  to  others  a  Terrestrial ; 
and  to  others  still  a  Telestial  law,  with 
penalties  and  promises  annexed,  accord- 
ing to  the  conditions,  circumstances, 
and  capacities  of  the  individuals  to  he 
governed.  Seek  for  wisdom  and  pat- 
tern after  the  heavenly  order  of  govern- 
ment. 

Rule  21st. — Do  not  be  so  stern  and 
rigid  in  your  family  government  as  to 
render  yourself  an  object  of  fear  and 
dread.  There  are  parents  who  only 
render  themselves  conspicious  in  the 
attribute  of  Justice,  while  mercy  and 
love  are  scarcely  known  in  their  fami- 
lies. Justice  should  be  tempered  with 
mercy,  and  love  should  be  the  great 
moving  principle,  interweaving  itself  in 
all  your  family  administrations.  When 
justice  alone  sits  upon  the  throne,  your 
children  approach  you  with  dread,  or 
peradventure  hide  themseh  es  from  your 
presence,  and  long  for  your  absence 
that  they  may  be  relieved  from  their 
fear  ;  at  the  sound  of  your  approaching 
foot-steps  they  flee  as  from  an  enemy, 
and  tremble  at  your  voice,  and  shrink 
from  the  gaze  of  your  countenance,  as 
though  they  expected  some  terrible 
punishment  to  be  inflicted  upon  them. 
Be  familiar  with  your  children  that 
they  may  delight  themselves  in  your 
societv,  and  look  upon  you  as  a  kind 
and  tender  parent  whom  they  delight 
to  obey.  Obedience  inspired  by  love, 
and  obedience  inspired  by  fear,  are  en- 
tirely different  in  their  nature ;  the 
former  will  be  permanent  and  enduring, 
while  the  latter  only  waits  to  have  the 
object  of  fear  removed,  and  it  vanishes 
like  a  dream.  Govern  children  as 
parents,  and  not  as  tyrants  ;  for  they 
will  be  parents  in  their  turn,  and  will 
be  very  likely  to  adopt  that  form  of 
government  in  which  they  have  been 
educated.  If  you  have  been  tyrants, 
they  may  be  influenced  to  pattern  after 
your  example.  If  you  are  fretful  and 
continually  scolding,  they  will  be  very 
apt  to  be  scolds  too.  If  you  are  loving, 
kind,  and  merciful,  these  benign  in- 
fluences will  be  very  certain  to  infuse  j 


themselves  into  their  order  of  family 
government ;  and  thus  good  and  evil 
influences  frequently  extend  themselves 
down  for  many  generations  and  ages. 
How  great,  then,  are  the  responsibilities 
of  parents  to  their  children  !  And  how 
fearful  the  consequences  of  bad  ex- 
amples !  Let  love,,  therefore,  predomi- 
nate and  control  you,  and  your  children 
will  be  sure  to  discover  it,  and  will 
love  you  in  return. 

Rule  22nd. — Let  each  mother  teach 
her  children  to  honor  and  love  their 
father,  and  to  respect  his  teachings  and 
counsels.  How  frequently  it  is  the 
case,  when  fathers  undertake  to  correct 
their  children,  mothers  will  interfere  in 
the  presence  of  the  children :  this  has 
a  very  evil  tendency  in  many  respects : 
first,  it  destroys  the  oneness  of  feeling 
which  should  exist  between  husband 
and  wife ;  secondly,  it  weakens  the 
confidence  of  the  children  in  the  father, 
and  emboldens  them  to  disobedience  ; 
thirdly,  it  creates  strife  and  discord ; 
and  lastly,  it  is  rebelling  against  the 
order  of  family  government,  established 
by  divine  wisdom.  If  the  mother  sup- 
poses the  father  too  severe,  let  her  not 
mention  this  in  the  presence  of  the 
children,  but  she  can  express  her  feel- 
ings to  him  while  alone  by  themselves, 
and  thus  the  children  will  not  see  any 
division  between  them.  For  husband 
and  wives  to  be  disagreed,  and  to  con- 
tend, and  quarrel,  is  a  great  evil ;  and 
to  do  these  things  in  the  presence  of 
their  children,  is  a  still  greater  evil. 
Therefore,  if  a  husband  and  his  wives 
will  quarrel  and  destroy  their  own  hap- 
piness, let  them  have  pity  upon  their 
children,  and  not  destroy  them  by  their 
pernicious  examples. 

Rule  23rd. — Suffer  not  children  of 
different  mothers  to  be  haughty  and 
abusive  to  each  other ;  for  they  are 
own  brothers  and  sisters  the  same  as 
the  children  of  the  patriarch  Jacob; 
and  one  has  no  claim  above  another, 
only  as  his  conduct  merits  it.  Should 
you  discover  contentions  or  differences 
arising,  do  not  justify  your  own  children 
and  condemn  the  others  in  their  pre- 
sence ;  for  this  will  encourage  them  in 
their  quarrels:  even  if  you  consider 
that  your  children  are  not  so  much  in 


186 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


the  fault  as  the  others,  it  is  far  better 
to  teach  them  of  the  evils  of  strife,  than 
to  speak  against  the  others.  To  speak 
against  them,  not  only  alienates  their 
affections,  but  has  a  tendency  to  offend 
their  mothers,  and  create  unpleasant 
feelings  between  you  and  them.  Always 
speak  well  of  each  of  your  husband's 
wives  in  the  presence  of  your  children  ; 
for  children  generally  form  their  judg- 
ment concerning  others,  by  the  sayings 
of  their  parents :  they  are  very  apt  to 
respect  those  whom  their  parents  re- 
spect ;  and  hate  those  whom  they  hate. 
If  you  consider  that  some  of  the  mothers 
are  too  lenient  with  their  children  and 
too  negligent  in  correcting  them,  do 
not  be  offended,  but  strive,  by  the  wise 
and  prudent  management  of  your  own, 
to  set  a  worthy  example  before  them, 
that  they,  by  seeing  your  judicious  and 
wise  course,  may  be  led  to  go  and  do 
likewise.  Examples  will  sometimes  re- 
form, when  precepts  fail. 

Rule  24th. — Be  industrious  in  your 
habits :  this  is  important  as  fulfilling 
the  law  of  God:  it. is  also  important 
for  those  who  are  in  low  circumstances, 
that  they  may  acquire  food,  and  raiment, 
and  the  necessary  comforts  of  life :  it 
is  also  important  for  the  rich  as  well  as 
the  poor,  that  they  may  be  able  more 
abundantly  to  supply  the  wants  of  the 
needy,  and  be  in  circumstances  to  help 
the  unfortunate  and  administer  to  the 
sick  and  afflicted ;  for  in  this  way,  it  is 
possible  even  for  the  rich  to  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  A  family 
whose  time  is  occupied  in  the  useful 
and  lawful  avocations  of  life,  will  find 
no  time  to  go  from  house  to  house, 
tattling  and  injuring  one  another  and 
their  neighbors;  neither  will  they  be 
so  apt  to  quarrel  among  themselves. 

Rule  25th. — When  your  children 
are  from  three  to  five  years  of  age,  send 
them  to  school,  and  keep  them  there 
year  after  year  until  they  receive  a 
thorough  education  in  all  the  rudiments 
of  useful  science,  and  in  their  manners, 
and  morals.  In  this  manner,  they  will 
avoid  many  evils,  arising  from  indo- 
lence, and  form  habits  that  will  render 
them  beneficial  to  society  in  after  life. 
Let  mothers  educate  their  daughters  in 
all  kinds  of  domestic  labor  :  teach  them 


to  wash  and  iron,  to  bake  and  do  all 
kinds  of  cooking,  to  knit  and  sew,  to 
spin  and  weave,  and  to  do  all  other 
things  that  will  qualify  them  to  be 
good  and  efficient  housewives.  Let 
fathers  educate  their  sons  in  whatever 
branch  or  branches  of  business,  they  in- 
tend them  respectively  to  follow.  De- 
spise that  false  delicacy  which  is  ex- 
hibited by  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
the  rich,  who  consider  it  a  dishonor  to 
labor  at  the  common  avocations  of  life. 
Such  notions  of  high-life,  should  be 
frowned  out  of  the  territory,  as  too  con- 
temptible to  be  harbored,  for  one  mo- 
ment, by  a  civilized  community.  Some 
of  these  bogus  gentlemen  and  ladies 
have  such  grand  ideas,  concerning 
gentility,  that  they  would  let  their 
poor  old  father  and  mother  slave 
themselves  to  death,  to  support  them 
in  their  idleness,  or  at  some  useless 
fanciful  employment.  The  daughter 
will  sit  down  in  the  parlour  at  her 
painting  or  music,  arrayed  in  silks  and 
fineries,  and  let  her  mother  wash  and 
cook  until,  through  fatigue,  she  is  ready 
to  fall  into  her  grave :  this  they  call 
gentility,  and  the  distinctions  between 
the  low  and  the  high.  But  such  daugh- 
ters are  not  worthy  of  husbands,  and 
should  not  be  admitted  into  any  re- 
spectable society:  they  are  contemptible 
drones,  that  would  be  a  curse  to  any 
husband  who  should  be  so  unfortunate 
as  to  be  connected  with  such  nuisances. 
Painting,  music,  and  all  the  fine  arts, 
should  be  cherished,  and  cultivated,  as 
accomplishments  which  serve  to  adorn 
and  embellish  an  enlightened  civilized 
people,  and  render  life  agreeable  and 
happy ;  but  when  these  are  cultivated, 
to  the  exclusion  of  the  more  necessary 
duties  and  qualifications,  it  is  like 
adorning  swine  with  costly  jewels  and 
pearls  to  make  them  appear  more  re- 
spectable :  these  embellishments,  only 
render  such  characters  a  hundred  fold 
more  odious  and  disgustful  than  they 
would  otherwise  appear. 

Rule  26th. — Use  economy  and  avoid 
wastefulness.  How  discouraging  it 
would  be  to  a  husband  who  has  a  large 
family,  depending  mostly  upon  his  labor 
for  a  support,  to  see  his  wives  and 
children  carelessly,  thoughtlessly,  and 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


187 


unnecessarily,  waste  his  Lard  earnings. 
Let  not  one  wife,  for  fear  that  she  shall 
not  obtain  her  share  of  the  income, 
destroy,  give  away,  and  otherwise  fool- 
ishly dispose  of  what  is  given  to  her, 
thinking  that  her  husband  will  furnish 
her  with  more.  Those  who  economize 
and  wisely  use  that  which  is  given  to 
them,  should  be  counted  worthy  to  re- 
ceive more  abundantly  than  those  who 
pursue  a  contrary  course.  Each  wife 
should  feel  interested  in  saving  and  pre- 
serving that  with  which  the  Lord  has 
entrusted  her,  and  should  rejoice,  not 
only  in  her  prosperity,  but  in  the  pros- 
perity of  all  the  others:  her  eyes  should 
not  be  full  of  greediness  to  grasp  every 
thing  herself,  but  she  should  feel  equal- 
ly interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  whole 
family.  By  pursuing  this  course  she 
will  be  beloved  :  by  taking  a  contrary 
course,  she  will  be  considered  selfish 
and  little  minded. 

Rule  27th. — Let  husbands,  wives, 
sons,  and  daughters,  continually  realize 
that  their  relationships  do  not  end  with 
this  short  life,  but  will  continue  in  eter- 
nity without  end.  Every  qualification 
and  disposition  therefore,  which  will 
render  them  happy  here,  should  be 
nourished,  cherished,  enlarged,  and  per- 
fected, that  their  union  may  be  indis- 
soluble, and  their  happiness  secured 
both  for  this  world  and  for  that  which 
is  to  come. 

Let  these  rules  be  observed,  and  all 
others  that  are  good  and  righteous, 
and  peace  will  be  the  result :  husbands 
will  be  patriarchs  and  saviours ;  wives 
will  be  like  fruitful  vines,  bringing  forth 
precious  fruits  in  their  seasons :  their 
sons  will  be  like  plants  of  renown,  and 
their  daughters  like  the  polished  stones 
of  a  palace.  Then  the  saints  shall 
flourish  upon  the  hills  and  rejoice  upon 
the  mountains,  and  become  a  great 
people  and  strong,  whose  goings  forth 
shall  be  with  strength  that  is  everlast- 
ing. Arise,  O  Zion !  clothe  thyself  with 
light !  shine  forth  with  clearness  and 
brilliancy  !  illuminate  the  nations  and 
the  dark  corners  of  the  earth,  for  their 
light  is  gone  out — their  sun  is  set — 
gross  darkness  covers  them  !  let  thy 
light  be  seen  upon  the  high  places  of 
the  earth ;  let  it  shine  in  glorious  splen- 


dour ;  for  then  shall  the  wicked  sec, 
and  be  confounded,  and  lay  their  hands 
upon  their  mouths  in  shame ;  then 
shall  kings  arise,  and  come  forth  to 
the  light,  and  rejoice  in  the  'greatness 
of  thy  glory  !  Fear  not,  O  Zion,  nor 
let  thine  hands  be  slack,  for  great  is  the 
Holy  One  in  the  amidst  of  thee  !  a 
cloud  shall  be  over  thee  by  day  for  a 
defense,  and  at  night  thy  dwellings  shall 
be  encircled  with  glory  !  God  is  thine 
everlasting  light,  and  shall  be  a  Tower 
of  strength  against  thine  enemies ;  at 
the  sound  of  His  voice  they  shall  melt 
away,  and  terrors  shall  seize  upon 
them.  In  that  day  thou  shalt  be 
beautiful  and  glorious,  and  the  re- 
proach of  the  Gentiles  shall  no  more 
come  into  thine  ears;  in  that  day,  shall 
the  sons  of  them  that  afflicted  thee 
come  bending  unto  thee  and  bow  them- 
selves down  at  the  soles  of  thy  feet ; 
and  the  daughters  of  them  that  re- 
proached thee,  shall  come,  saying,  We 
will  eat  our  own  bread  and  wear  our 
own  apparel,  only  let  us  be  joined  in 
the  patriarchal  order  of  marriage  with 
the  husbands  and  patriarchs  in  Zion  to 
take  away  our  reproach  :  then  shall 
they  highly  esteem,  far  above  riches, 
that  which  their  wicked  fathers  ridi- 
culed under  the  name  of  Polygamy. 

We  will  close  this  lengthy  article  on 
the  subject  of  Celestial  Marriage  by 
propounding  the  following  questions  for 
the  consideration  of  such  of  our  read- 
ers as  may  be  opposed  to  the  plurality 
system. 

1.  If  plurality  is  offensive  in  the 
sight  of  God,  why  was  Abraham,  who 
practiced  it,  called  the  friend  of  God, 
and  the  father  of  the  faithful  ?  Why 
did  the  Lord  promise  that  in  him,  as 
well  as  in  his  seed,  all  the  families  of 
the  earth  should  be  blessed  ?  Why 
require  all  the  families  of  the  earth, 
under  the  Christian  dispensation,  to  be 
adopted  into  the  family  of  a  Polyga- 
mist  in  order  to  be  saved  ?  Why 
choose  a  Polygamist  to  be  the  father 
of  all  saved  families  ?  Why  require 
all  Christian  families  in  order  to  be 
saved,  to  walk  in  the  steps  and  do  the 
works  of  Abraham?  Why  did  God 
proclaim  Himself  to  be  "  The  God  of 
Abraham,  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the 


188 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


God  of  Jacob,"  and  say  that  this  shall 
"  MY  NAME  AND  MY  MEMORIAL 
TO  ALL  GENERATIONS  ?"  (See 
Exodus  3  :  15.)  If  Polygamy  is  not 
to  be  sanctioned  among  the  genera- 
tions of  Christendom,  why  did  He  re- 
present Himself  to  be  the  God  of  Polyg- 
amists,  and  say  that  all  generations 
should  adopt  that  memorial  of  Him  ? 
Why  choose  these  Polygamists  to  be 
examples  for  Christians,  and  say,  that 
many  should  come  from  the  east  and 
the  west,  from  the  north  and  the  south, 
and  sit  down  with  them  in  the  king- 
dom of  God  ?  Will  Abraham's  wives 
and  concubines,  and  Jacob's  four  wives 
be  in  the  kingdom  of  God  with  their 
husbands  ?  If  so,  will  it  not  greatly 
corrupt  the  morals  of  Christians  to  sit 
down  in  the  same  kingdom  with  them  ? 
Will  not  Christians  be  greatly  ashamed 
to  be  found  sitting  in  the  company  of 
Polygamists  ?  Will  not  Christians  en- 
tirely ruin  their  characters  by  being 
adopted  into  the  family  of  so  noted  a 
Polygamist  as  Abraham,  and  be  obliged 
to  acknowledge  him  as  father,  and  be 
called  his  children?  "The  Scripture 
foreseeing  that  God  would  justify  the 
heathen  through  faith,  preached  before 
the  Gospel  unto  Abraham,  saying,  "In 
thee  shall  all  nations  be  blessed."  (Gal. 
3:  8.)  AVhat  kind  of  Gospel  was  preach- 
ed unto  Abraham  ?  Was  it  not  the 
same  Gospel  that  was  preached  after 
Christ,  by  which  the  heathen  were  to 
be  justified,  and  by  which  all  the  fami- 
lies of  the  earth  might  be  blessed  by 
becoming  the  children  of  Abraham 
through  adoption  ?  Did  it  not  require 
the  same  Gospel  to  save  the  Polyga- 
mist father  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  as 
that  which  saves  his  adopted  children 
that  sit  down  with  him  in  the  same 
kingdom  ?  Does  the  Gospel,  since 
Christ  exalt  Christians  to  a  more  glo- 
rious kingdom  than  the  one  where 
Abraham  dwells  ?  If  not,  is  it  arty 
better  than  the  Gospel  preached  to 
Abraham  ?  Did  not  Abraham  sec  the 
day  of  Christ  and  rejoice  in  it,  and  look 
forward  to  his  atoning  sacrifice,  the 
same  as  Christians  afterwards  looked 
back  to  the  same  atonement  ?  If  the 
Gospel  which  was  preached  to  Abra- 
ham required  the  same  faith — the  same 


repentance — the  same  justification — 
the  same  sanctification  through  the 
Holy  Ghost — if  it  procured  for  him  the 
same  blessings — the  same  gifts  of  proph- 
ecy and  revelations — the  same  gifts  of 
seeing  visions  and  of  conversing  with 
angels — the  same  miraculous  powers 
and  heavenly  promises — if  it  made  him 
worthy  of  the  title  of  the  friend  of  God, 
and  exalted  him  to  be  the  father  of  the 
faithful,  even  the  father  of  all  saved  na- 
tions— if,  moreover,  it  saved  him  in  the 
kingdom  of  God — in  the  same  king- 
dom where  his  Christian  children  are 
to  sit  down  with  him — then  was  it  not 
the  Gospel  of  Christianity— the  very 
same  Gospel  that  was  preached  after 
Christ  ?  And  if  the  same  Gospel,  then 
who  dare  deny,  that  Polygamy  was  not 
practised  by  the  very  best  of  men, 
under  a  Christian  and  Gospel  dispensa- 
tion ?  Who  dare  say  that  Abraham's 
righteousness  was  not  as  great  as  the 
righteousness  of  his  children  ? 

2.  Did  not  the  Lord  greatly  bless 
and  prosper  Jacob  both  before  and  after 
he  became  a  Polygamist  ?  Did  he  not 
continue  to  give  him  many  revelations 
and  visions,  and  send  hosts  of  angels  to 
converse  with  him  ?  If  Polygamy 
were  a  crime,  would  not  God  have  in- 
formed him  of  the  fact?  If  it  were 
sinful,  would  he  have  saved  him  in  His 
kingdom  without  repentance  ?  As  Ja- 
cob did  not  repent,  but  continued  a  po- 
lygamist until  his  death,  and  as  he  was 
saved,  he  must  have  been  saved  in  his 
sins;  for  God  does  not  forgive  sins 
without  repentance  ;  or,  otherwise,  po- 
lygamy is  no  sin.  Why  did  the  Lord 
restrain  Sarai,  Abram's  wife,  from  bear- 
ing ?  (Gen.  16:  2.)  Was  it  not  because 
she  for  a  long  time  neglected  to  give 
Abram  another  wife  that  he  might 
become  the  father  of  many  nations  ? 
After  she  had  given  Hager  to  her 
husband,  the  Lord  then  condescended 
to  give  her  a  son.  If  polygamy  were 
criminal  and  sinful,  why  did  Rachel 
give  Bilhah  to  her  husband  ?  would 
she  have  sacrificed  her  feelings  in  this 
way  for  the  sake  of  committing  sin  ? 
would  she  have  sacrificed,  not  only 
the  deafest  earthly  object  she  had, 
but  also  subjected  herself  to  sin  and 
condemnation,   and    run   the   risk   of 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


189 


sacrificing  her  eternal  salvation,  merely 
for  the  object  of  having  Bilhah  raise 
up  children  for  her  ?  What  benefit 
would  Bilhah's  children  be  to  her,  com- 
pared with  the  love  which  a  wife  has 
for  her  husband,  and  especially  with 
the  love  of  justification  before  God? 
Does  not  this  example  then  of  self- 
sacrifice,  show  most  conclusively  that 
Rachel  acted  from  a  higher  motive 
than  the  ruin  of  her  soul  for  the  sake 
of  her  husband's  raising  up  children 
by  Bilhah  ?  Does  it  not  prove  that  a 
sense  of  duty  alone  operated  upon  her 
mind  and  urged  her  on  to  make  so 
great  a  sacrifice?  How  did  Leah  pre- 
vail with  the  Lord  to  obtain  more 
children?  She  had  several  years  be- 
fore raised  unto  her  husband  four 
sons,  but  for  some  reason  the  Lord 
had  for  some  length  of  time  restrained 
her  from  bearing.  What  particular 
duty  did  she  perform  in  order  to  again 
be  blessed  with  children  ?  She  gave 
her  handmaiden  Zilpah  to  her  hus- 
band for  a  wife.  L)id  this  sacrifice 
produce  the  desired  effect  ?  Yes  it  so 
highly  pleased  the  Lord  that  He  heark- 
ened unto  Leah,  and  she  conceived, 
and  bare  Jacob  a  fifth  son.  And  Leah 
said,  "God  hath  given  me  my  hire, 
because  I  have  given  my  maiden  to 
my  husband."  (Genesis  30.)  Can 
it  be  said,  in  this  case,  that  the  love 
of  having  additional  children,  born  by 
another  woman  would  have  induced 
her  to  yield  to  so  great  a  sacrifice  ? 
If  children  were  the  object,  she  already 
had  them  of  her  own;  and  certainly, 
Zilpah's  children  could  not  have  been 
as  dear  to  her  as  her  own  dear  hus- 
band. What  higher  object  then  could 
have  induced  her  to  make  the  sacri- 
fice ?  If  plurality  were  sinful,  would 
she  have  expected  that  her  sins  would 
prevail  with  the  Lord,  and  that  her 
crimes  would  cause  him  to  hearken  to 
her  prayer  and  give  her  additional 
children  I  If  giving  ,  her  maiden  to 
her  husband  was  offensive  to  God, 
why  did  He  hearken  to  her  prayer  and 
bless  her  for  so  doing?  Do  not  all 
these  facts  prove  that  God  was  highly 
pleased  with  the  plurality  system  as 
practiced  by  those  holy  men  and 
women. 


3.  Where  was  there  ever  a  more 
holy  man  than  Moses  with  whom  God 
spake  face  to  face  ?  Did  not  Moses 
know  about  Christ,  and  Christianity, 
and  the  gospel  ?  Jesus  says,  that 
Moses  wrote  of  him :  Paul  says  that 
Moses  esteemed  the  reproach  of  Christ 
greater  riches  than  the  treasures  of 
Egypt :  and  again,  he  says,  that 
the  gospel  was  preached  unto  them  (the 
children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness) 
as  well  as  unto  us,  and  testifies,  that 
they  were  baptized  in  the  cloud  and 
in  the  sea.  If  Moses  then  believed, 
the  gospel,  and  Avas  baptized,  and  em- 
braced Christianity,  and  suffered  the 
reproach  of  Christ,  was  he  not  a 
Christian  just  as  much  as  those  who 
embraced  the  gospel  after  Christ  ? 
Moses  therefore,  was  a  Christain  po- 
lygamist  and  set  the  example  before 
all  Israel,  and  when  his  own  brother 
and  sister,  Aaron  and  Miriam  the 
prophetess,  spake  against  one  of  his 
wives,  the  Lord  was  very  angry  with 
them  and  smote  Mariam  with  the 
leprosy.  (Numbers  12.)  Did  not  the 
Lord  by  this  act  show  most  clearly 
that  He  approbated  polygamy,  and 
that  he  held  sacred  to  Moses  the  wives 
he  had  taken  ?  Did  not  God  himself 
give  laws  through  Moses  to  regulate 
the  descent  of  property  in  the  families 
of  polygamists  ?  Was  not  Moses, 
though  a  polygamist  saved  in  the 
kingdom  of  God  ?  Did  not  Moses 
and  Elias  appear  in  glory  to  Peter, 
James,  and  John  in  the  holy  mount  at 
the  time  of  Christ's  transfiguration  ? 
If  Moses  could  be  saved  by  the  gospel, 
and  by  embracing  Christ,  then  is  it 
not  certain  that  polygamy  was  appro- 
bated just  as  much  under  the  gospel 
as  under  the  law  ? 

4.  If  polygamy  was  sinful  and 
criminal,  Why  did  God  command  the 
living  brother  to  marry  all  the  wid- 
ows of  his  deceased  brothers  who  died 
without  children  ?  Would  God  com- 
mand his  people  under  a  heavy  pen- 
alty to  commit  sin  and  then  pun- 
ish them  for  doing  it  ?  It  must  have 
been  a  hard  case,  if  the  children  of  Is- 
rael were  to  be  cursed  if  they  did  not 
keep  the  law,  and  then  again  to  be 
cursed  if  they  did  keep  it !  yet  this 


J  90 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


must  have  been  the  case,  if  they  were 
to  be  cursed  for  being  polygamists 
when  the  law  of  God  compelled  them 
in  certain  cases  to  be  such. 

5.  In  the  days  of  Christ  while  the 
law  of  Moses  was  yet  in  full  force, 
there  must  have  been  thousands  of  Is- 
rael who  were  compelled  by  their  law 
to  be  polygamists  or  else  suffer  the 
penalty  of  the  curse  annexed  to  that 
law  :  In  what  way  could  those  polyg- 
amists embrace  Christianity  and  be 
received  into  the  Church  of  Christ  ? 
Was  it  lawful  for  polygamists  to  be 
baptized  into  the  Christian  Church  ? 
If  not,  would  the  gospel  permit  them 
to  divorce  all  their  wives  but  one  ? 
Would  the  gospel  permit  them 
to  put  assunder  those  whom  God,  by 
his  express  command,  had  joined  to- 
gether ?  If  the  gospel  would  allow 
all  but  one  to  be  divorced,  then  which 
wives  were  to  be  cast  out  with  their 
children,  and  which  one  was  to  be  re- 
tained ?  But  if  the  gospel  would  not 
permit  these  Jewish  Polygamists  to 
divorce  their  wives,  except  in  cases  of 
adultery,  what  could  they  do  ?  Could 
they  be  saved  without  coming  into  the 
Christian  Church  ?  And  if  not,  must 
they  be  damned  without  remedy  ? 
Did  they  by  keeping  the  law,  accor- 
ding to  Gods  command,  place  them- 
selves in  a  hopeless  condition,  where 
Christianity  could  not  reach  them  ? 
If  so,  they  must  have  been  sent  to  hell 
if  they  had  failed  to  keep  the  law,  and 
Christianity  sends  them  to  hell,  with- 
out offering  any  remedy,  because  they 
have  kept  the  law  and  thus  become 
polygamists.  But  this  is  too  absurd 
for  even  savages  to  believe.  It  would 
be  most  shocking  blasphemy  to  make 
God  the  Author  of  so  wicked  a  doc- 
trine. No  one  can  dispute,  then,  but 
that  these  Jewish  polygamists  with  all 
their  wives  had  the  same  privilege  of 
entering  the  Christian  Church  as  any 
others.  And  as  this  must  have  been 
the  case,  then  who  dare  say  that  po- 
lygamy was  not  practiced  and  approba- 
ted by  those  in  the  Christian  Church 
in  the  days  of  our  Saviour  and  his 
apostles  ?  Was  there  any  possible 
chance  of  extricating  the  Jewish  po- 
ly gamist  from  his  dilemma  and  saving 


him  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  short  of 
Christianity?  So  certain  as  any  of 
them  were  saved,  so  certain  did  Chris- 
tianity tolerate  polygamy  ;  for  we  are 
certain  that  it  did  not  tolerate  divor- 
ces only  for  a  certain  transgression. 

6.  If  polygamy  is  to  be  considered 
sinful  under  the  gospel  dispensation, 
why  did  David  speak  of  the  honorable 
wives  of  the  son  of  God  himself  and 
so  particularly  describe  one  of  His 
Queens.  Would  Christ  sanction  a 
sinful  institution  by  his  own  practice? 
and  then  command  his  disciples  to  fol- 
low him  ? 

*7.  If  polygamists  cannot  be  admit- 
ed  into  the  Christian  Church,  Why 
did  Isaiah  prophesy  concerning  the 
future  glory  of  Zion  under  the  Chris- 
tian dispensation,  and  inform  us  that 
"  In  that  day  seven  women  should  take 
hold  of  one  man  saying,  We  will  eat 
our  own  bread  and  wear  our  own  ap- 
parel only  let  us  be  called  by  thy  name 
to  take  away  our  reproach  '{  "  If  such 
things  are  sinful,  Why  did  Isaiah 
further  predict,  that  "  In  that  day 
the  branch  of  the  Lord  should  be 
beautiful  and  glorious  and  that  every 
one  who  should  be  left  in  Zion  should 
be  called  holy,  and  that  all  their 
dwellings  and  assemblies  should  be 
overshadowed  with  a  cloud  and  smoke 
by  day,  and  a  pillar  of  fire  by  night  ? 
Why  are  these  polygamists  who  are  to 
have  seven  women  hold  of  their  skirts 
to  be  called  holy — to  be  so  beautiful 
and  glorious — to  have  such  magnifi- 
cent displays  of  the  glory  of  God  in 
their  midst  ?  Why  is  all  this  yet  to 
take  place  under  the  Christian  dispensa- 
tion, if  polygamy  is  not  to  be  tolerated  in 
the  church  of  Christ  and  is. so  offensive 
in  the  sight  of  God  ?  Do  not  all  these 
things  demonstrate  that  polygamy  is 
compatible  with  Christianity,  and  that 
it  has  existed  and  will  exist  in  the  Chris- 
tian Church  in  the  days  of  its  greatest 
glory  ?  Can  any  Bible  reader  or  Bible 
believer  dispute  this  ? 

8.  Can  any  one  tell  why  David  be- 
fore he  committed  adultery  and  was 
the  means  of  shedding  innocent  blood 
was  called  a  man  after  God's  own 
heart  ?  Did  he  not  marry  seven 
wives  before  God  exalted  him  to  the 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


191 


throne  of  Israel  ?  After  David  had  al- 
ready taken  seven  wives,  why  did  God 
give  him  all  of  Saul's  wives  in  addi- 
tion ?  Did  the  Lord  think  that  David 
had  not  a  sufficent  number  that  He 
himself  should  give  him  more  ?  Who 
dare  say  that  polygamy  is  not  a  divine 
institution  when  God  commanded  it  by 
the  mouth  of  Moses,  and  then  actually 
gave  Saul's  wives  into  David's  bosom  ? 

9.  If  polygamy  is  not  a  divine  insti- 
tution Why  did  that  good  man  Jehoi- 
ada  the  high  priest  give  two  wives  to 
the  good  king  Joash  ?  Was  not  this 
done  by  a  righteous  man  and  by  the 
highest  authority  of  the  priesthood 
that  God  had  upon  the  earth  I 

10.  If  polygamy  is  not  a  divine  in- 
stitution why  did  God  command  the 
prophet  Hosea  to   marry  two  wives  ? 

11.  If  among  the  people  of  God, 
polygamy  is  not  more  pleasing  than 
monogamy  or  the  one  wife  system, 
why  did  God  command  Israel  to  kill 
all  their  male  captives  and  to  save  all 
the  virgins  alive  for  themselves  ?  AVhy 
did  he  command  them  to  do  this  as  a 
general  rule  in  all  their  future  wars 
against  foreign  cities  and  nations  ? 
Was  it  not  instituted  in  order  to  sup- 
ply Israel  with  women  enough  to 
make  a  nation  of  polygamists  ? 
Was  it  not  in  this  way,  that  He  in- 
tended to  greatly  multiply  Israel  and 
make  them  as  the  sands  upon  the  sea 
shore,  according  to  the  promises  made 
to  their  polygamist  ancestors  ? 

12.  If  among  the  righteous  polyga- 
mists are  not  more  honorable  in  the 
sight  of  God  than  the  monogamists, 
why  is  it  that  God  generally  chose  the 
former  to  be  deliverers,  judges,  rulers, 
kings,  priests,  prophets,  and  patriarchs, 
in  preference  to  the  latter  ?  Why 
was  Gideon  who  had  many  wives  and 
no  less  than  seventy-two  sons,  chosen 
to  deliver  Israel  ?  Why  did  the  King 
of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords  choose  to 
be  born  into  this  world  in  a  family 
whose  ancestors  were  noted  polygamists? 
Do  not  all  these  things  prove,  that  among 
the  righteous,  God  prefered  the  system 
of  polygamy  to  that  of  monogamy  ? 

13.  If  polygamy  was  not  permitted 
in  the  Christian  Church,  why  did  Paul 
require  Timothy  to  select  from  among 


the  church  members  men  who  were 
the  husbands  of  one  wife  for  the  offi- 
ces of  bishops  and  deacons  ?  If  there 
were  no  polygamists  in  church,  would 
it  have  been  possible  for  Timothy  to 
have  selected  them  ?  And  if  not  pos- 
sible, why  did  Paul  give  the  advice  ? 
Does  not  this  prove  most  conclusively 
that  polygamy  did  exist  in  that 
church  ?  Does  Paul  any  where  repre- 
sent polygamy  to  be  evil  or  immoral  ? 
did  not  he  require  such  selections  to 
be  made  in  order  that  these  officers 
might  not  be  encumbered  with  the 
cares  of  a  large  family  ?  It  might  be 
necessary  sometimes  under  particular 
circumstances,  to  select  young  men 
that  were  single  for  ordination,  to  be 
sent  on  particular  missions,  where 
even  one  wife  would  be  a  great  incum- 
brance and  for  the  time  being  a  hin- 
drance to  their  usefulness.  Because, 
under  such  circumstances,  instructions 
were  given  to  select  single  men; 
should  it  therefore  be  inferred  that  it 
was  sinful  for  others  to  be  husbands  ? 
So  likewise,  considering  the  arduous 
duties,  required  of  bishops  and  dea- 
cons, Paul  thought  best  to  select  for 
these  offices  husbands  having  one  wife  ; 
should  it  therefore  be  inferred  that  it 
was  sinful  for  other  husbands  to  have 
more  than  one  ? 

14.  Did  our  Saviour  or  any  of  his 
Apostles  ever  forbid  polygamy  or  con- 
demn it  as  sinful  \  If  not  why  should 
Christendom  now  condemn  it  \  Do 
they  think  to  be  more  righteous  in 
this  respect,  than  Jesus  Christ  the 
great  Author  of  Christianity  '. 

15.  There  are  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  polygamists  among  the  vari- 
ous nations  of  the  earth  who  have 
married  their  wives  according  to  the 
laws  of  their  respective  governments. 
When  Christendom  send  forth  their 
missionaries  to  convert  them,  in  what 
way  can  they  be  admitted  into 
the  church  ?  Must  they  divorce  all 
their  wives  but  one  ?  If  so,  which  one 
shall  they  retain,  and  which  ones  shall 
they  cast  away  upon  the  cruel  mercies 
of  the  world?  A  certain  wealthy, 
kind,  and  benevolent  man,  in  Asia  who 
knows  nothing  of  Christianity,  purcha- 
ses for  himself  ten  virgins  and  marries 


192 


CELESTIAL    MARRIAGE. 


them  all  at  the  same  time,  according  to 
the  customs  and  laws  of  his  country. 
Each  of  his  wives  raises  up  unto  him 
four  children.  After  which  a  mission- 
ary from  Christendom  happens  along 
and  preaches  to  .him  and  his  numerous 
family,  Christianity  :  he,  and  his  tea 
wives,  and  forty  children,  all  believe 
and  wish  to  be  baptized  into  the 
Christian  Church.  He  is  told  by  the 
missionary  that  he  must  divorce  all 
his  wives  but  one,  without  which  he 
cannot  be  received.  But  neither  the 
missionary  nor  the  man  himself  know 
of  any  rule  to  decide  which  one  of 
the  ten  is  to  be  retained  ?  They  were 
all  married  to  him  at  the  same  time ; 
all  have  been  true  to  him  ;  and  each 
have  borne  to  him  an  equal  number  of 
children.  But  at  length,  without  any 
rule,  the  decision  is  made  ;  nine-tenths 
of  his  dear  family  are  put  away ;  not 
however,  without  a  heart-rending  sac- 
rifice of  feelings  on  the  part  of  himself 
and  his  beloved  family.  He  and  his 
one  wife  are  now  admitted  into  the 
church  and  considered  good  Christians. 
But  two-thirds  of  his  family  who  are 
thus  torn  from  his  embrace  and  cast 
out,  begin  to  doubt  very  seriously 
whether  Christianity  is  as  good  as  the 
religion  of  their  own  nation.  They 
begin  to  think  that  a  religion  that  will 
thus  break  up  families  cannot  be  good  ; 
they  renounce  it  at  once,  and  turn  to 
their  idolatry.  As  for  the  other  third 
of  the  sorrowful  out  cast  wives,  per- 
haps they  may  even  yet  have  a  feint 
lingering  hope  that  Christianity  is  a 
true  system  of  religion ;  but  having 
no  husband  and  protector,  they  finally 
meet  with  an  opportunity  of  marrying 
idolatrous  husbands :  and  after  a 
while,  having  no  Christian  husbands 
to'  guide  them,  they  entirely  lose  what 
little  faith  they  had,  and  embrace  a- 


gain  the  religion  of  their  husbands  and 
fathers,  and  the  poor  children  follow 
the  examples  of  their  mothers.  Thus 
the  nine  wives  and  thirty-six  children 
who  believed  in  Christianity  and  would 
have  entered  the  church  with  their 
husband  and  father,  had  they  not 
been  put  away,  are  forced  into  circum- 
stances, calculated  to  destroy  and  en- 
tirely irradicate  from  their  minds  all 
faith  in  the  Christian  religion.  Does 
Christianity  require  missionaries  to 
pursue  such  a  course  among  polyga- 
mist  nations  ?  Does  it  require  them 
to  tear  asunder  family  ties  ;  to  break 
up  and  scatter  in  some  instances  nine- 
tenths  of  those  who  are  nearer  and 
more  precious  to  each  other  than  life  ? 
Does  it  require  them  to  pursue  a  course 
calculated  in  its  very  nature,  to  make 
them  loathe  and  detest  Christianity, 
as  more  cruel  in  their  estimation  than 
the  grave  ?  By  what  law  of  Christi- 
anity do  they  teach  such  to  divorce 
any  one  of  their  wives,  except  for  the 
cause  of  adultery  ?  O  Christendom, 
where  is  thy  consistency  !  it  is  gone  ! 
it  is  fled !  and  absurdity  and  every 
species  of  wickedness  have  taken  the 
place  thereof!  Thou  corruptest  the 
nations  with  thy  whoredoms,  and  yet 
thou  wouldst  fein  persuade  them  that 
thou  art  righteous ;  but  the  day  is  at 
hand  when  thine  iniquities  shall  be 
proclaimed  upon  the  house  tops,  and 
thou  shall  be  judged  for  all  thy  filthi- 
ness  and  abominations,  and  shall  be 
cast  down  by  devouring  fire.  Then 
shall  come  salvation,  and  glory,  and 
honor,  and  power,  and  the  reign  of 
peace,  and  the  day  of  the  righteous, 
wherein  Abraham  and  his  wives  to- 
gether with  all  his  seed  that  are  right- 
eous, shall  inherit  the  earth,  and  reign 
for  ever  and  ever. 

EDITOR. 


CONTENTS. 

Christian  Polygamy  in  the  Sixteenth  Century 

Celestial  Marriage 


177 

183 


WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.   C. 
Edited  and  Published  by  Orsox  Phatt, 

at  $1  per  annum,  invariably  in  Advance. 


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Ail  yc  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  lie 
liftetli  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains.— -Isaiah  xvm,  3. 


Vol.  II. 


JANUARY,    1854 


No.  1. 


THE  TREATMENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  TOWARDS 

THE  SAINTS. 


Question. — First,  In  what  manner 
have  the  people  of  the  United  States 
treated  the  divine  message  contained 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon  ? 

Answer. — They  have  closed  their 
eyes,  their  ears,  their  hearts  and  their 
doors  against  it.  They  have  laughed 
at,  ridiculed,  derided,  and  treated  it 
with  the  utmost  contempt.  They  have 
scorned,  rejected,  and  hated  the  ser- 
vants of  God  who  were  sent  to  bear 
testimony  of  it.  They  have  invented 
the  most  abominable,  wicked  and  ma- 
licious lies,  and  published  the  same 
against  it.  Their  priests  have  hypo- 
critically and  piously  read  these  lies 
from  the  pulpit,  and  warned  their 
congregations  from  one  end  of  the 
Union  to  the  other,  to  neither  hear, 
read,  nor  investigate  it,  nor  any  thing 
in  favor  of  it.  They  have  denounced 
it  as  "a  most  vile  and  wicked  impo- 
sition ;"  "a  horrid  blasphemy  ;"  "a 
soul-destroying  and  most  damnable 
doctrine,  emanating  from  the  bowels 
of  hell."  Their  editors  have  for  years 
reiterated,  through  the  columns  of 
their  papers,  these  abusive  unjust  de- 
nunciations and  vile  falsehoods,  with- 
out giving  any  chance  in  their  col- 
umns for  a  reply  or  correction  of 
these  bare-faced  and  foul  misrepre- 
sentations. 

Question. — Second,  In  what  man- 
ner have  the  United  States  treated 
the  saints  who  have  believed  in  this 
divine  message  ? 


Answer. — The  people,  not  satisfied 
with  having  scorned,  ridiculed,  lied 
against,  denounced,  and  rejected  the 
message,  have,  likewise,  poured  out 
their  abuse  like  a  flood  upon  the 
heads  of  the  innocent  who  received 
it.  They  have  proceeded  to  the  most 
savage  and  outrageous  persecutions  ; 
have  fallen  like  demons  upon  their 
defenceless  prey ;  burned  hundreds 
of  their  houses  ;  destroyed  their  fur- 
niture,  and  their  stacks  of  hay  and 
grain ;  shot  down  their  cattle  and 
flocks  for  sport ;  dragged  little  chil- 
dren from  their  hiding  places  and 
placing  the  muzzles  of  their  guns  to 
their  heads  have  blown  out  their 
brains,  with  the  most  horrid  oaths 
and  imprecations.  They  have  taken 
the  fair  daughters  of  American  citi- 
zens, bound  them  upon  benches  used 
for  public  worship,  and  there,  in  great 
numbers,  ravished  them  until  death 
came  to  their  relief.  They  have 
thrust  ministers  of  the  gospel  into 
loathsome  dungeons,  bound  them  in 
chains  and  hand-cuffs,  and  fed  them 
on  human  flesh.  At  one  time  they 
drove  twelve  hundred  men,  women, 
and  children  from  their  own  comfort- 
able homes  and  firesides  ;  seized  upon 
their  property  and  their  lands,  which 
by  their  hard  earnings  they  had  pur- 
chased from  the  General  Government, 
and  compelled  the  lawful  owners  to 
wander  in  the  wilderness,  and  upon 
the    bleak    frosty   prairies,   without 


194 


TIIE    TREATMENT    OF    TnE 


bouse,  shelter,  or  home.     At  another 
time,  after  butchering  scores  of  de- 
fenceless men,  women,  and  children, 
fifteen    thousand   were   driven    from 
their  own  habitations  and  lands,  and 
compelled  to  brave  the  storms  of  an- 
other dreary  winter,  while  they  wan- 
dered, faiut  and  hungry,  for  several 
hundred    miles    through   the    inhos- 
pitable  regions   of   Missouri,   being 
scorned,  hissed  at,  and  spurned  from 
their  doors,  and  threatened  with  con- 
tinual death.     xVt  another  time,  the 
Great  Prophet  of  the  last  days,  by 
whom  the  sacred  history  of  one  half 
of  our  globe  was  revealed,  and  others 
of  the  servants  of  God,  were  thrust 
into  prison,  and  there  some  seventy 
or    eighty  individuals,   painted   and 
blacked  for  the  occasion,  are  per- 
mitted, in    open  day,  to  fall   upon 
their  defenceless  victims  and  murder 
them  in  the  most  shocking  manner. 
At    another    time,    thirty    thousand 
men,  women,  and  children,  after  see- 
ing much  of  their  property  destroyed, 
and  many  of  their  numbers  murdered, 
were  forced  at  the  point  of  the  bayo- 
net to  again  flee  from  their  houses 
and  lands,  and  launch  forth  in  the 
cold  month  of  February,  among  the 
snow-drifts  and  piercing  colds  of  the 
almost  uninhabited  prairies  of  Iowa, 
leaving  only  a  few  hundreds  of  the 
old,  sick,  and  infirm,  until  the  season 
should  become  more  favorable.    And 
after   having   arrived   in   an    Indian 
country,  and  suffer ed  hardships  in- 
describable, what  was  their  astonish- 
ment tci  find  themselves  called  upon 
to  furnish  five  hundred  men  to  fight 
the     battles    of    the    United    States 
against    Mexico !     They  themselves 
had   just  been  deprived  of  all   the 
sacred  rights  of  American  citizens; 
had  just  been  driven  by  the  force  of 
arms  from  the  Republic  ;    had  suf- 
fered the  hiss  of  millions  of  dollars, 
and   were    then   in   the   very   act  of 
fleeing   for   their  lives   to   the   dens, 
and  caves,  and  deserts  of  the  Rocky 
mountains.     And  to  add  to  all  their 
calamities,  the  government  had  looked 
coldly  on,  and  seen  all   these  evils 
heaped  upon  them  year  after  year ; 


they  had  seen  them  deprived  of  every 
right  guaranteed  in  the  Constitution  ; 
they  had  seen  them  whipped,  immured 
in  dungeons,  driven  from  settlement 
to  settlement,  and  from  state  to  state, 
and  at  last  expelled  from  the  States, 
and  told  that  they  must  not  stop  short 
of  the  Rocky  mountains.     And  yet 
this  same  government,  that  had  af- 
forded  them  no   protection,  provo- 
kingly  asked  them  to  drop  their  fam- 
ilies upon  the  prairies,  to  leave  them 
upon  the  western  plains,  in  the  midst 
of  savage  tribes ;   to  forsake  helpless 
women  and  children,  exposed  to  the 
pitiless    storms    of    an    approaching 
winter,  far  from  the  abodes  of  what 
is    termed    civilized    man ;    without 
house,  without  home,  without  food, 
without  any  apparent  prospect  but 
starvation  and  death.     But  here  the 
scenery  does  not  close,  for  scarcely 
had  the  five  hundred  men  bid  adieu 
to     their    weeping    families,     under 
these    heart-rending    circumstances, 
and  commenced  their  long  and  tedi- 
ous march  against  Mexico,  when  the 
sad  and  mournful  news  reached  them 
that  their  aged  fathers  and  mothers, 
their  sick  brothers  and  sisters,  whom 
they  were  obliged  to  leave  behind  in 
Nauvoo,  were  surrounded  by  an  army 
of  several  thousand  strong,  their  de- 
fenceless houses  cannonaded  for  sev- 
eral  days,   several   killed,  and   the 
balance  driven  by  the  point  of  the 
bayonet  across  the  Mississippi  river, 
and  told  to  flee  for  their  lives  beyond 
the  Rocky  mountains  !    Oh,  how  en- 
couraging must  this  news  have  been 
to  those  brave  and  honest  men  who 
were    then    marching,    hungry    and 
thirsty,    across    the    burning    sandy 
deserts    against    the    Mexican    foe ! 
Oh,  how  cheering  must   have  been 
the  reflection,  that  they  themselves, 
with  their   helpless  wives   and   chil- 
dren, had  only  a  short  time  previous 
been  driven  from  the  nation  in  whose 
service  they  were  then  enlisted  ;  and 
that  their  aged  fathers  and  their  sick 
relatives   had  just   shared  the  same 
fate  !      This  is  a  short  but  true  ac- 
count of  the  treatment  of  this  nation 
towards  one  of  the  greatest  messages 


UNITED    STATES   TOWARDS    THE    SAINTS. 


195 


that  God  ever  sent  to  enlighten  the 
world,  and  towards  His  servants  who 
were  sent  to  proclaim  it,  and  towards 
the  honest  humble  souls  who  have 
received  it. 

Question. — Has  the  General  Gov- 
ernment any  power  to  protect  her 
citizens  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  rights 
guaranteed  in  her  constitution? 

Answer. — She  has  the  poWer,  but 
in  the  cases  which  we  have  mentioned 
she  lacked  the  disposition. 

Question. — -But  were  not  these 
wholesale  murders  and  wholesale 
banishments  inflicted  by  the  sove- 
reign states  of  Missouri  and  Illinois  ? 
and  have  the  United  States  any 
power  to  interfere  with  the  acts  of 
sovereign  States  ? 

Answer. — When  a  sovereign  state 
rises  up  in  rebellion  and  open  viola- 
tion against  the  most  sacred  rights, 
vested  in  the  general  Constitution, 
and  by  force  or  arms  deprives  thirty 
thousand  men,  women,  and  children 
of  their  houses  and  lands,  and  forces 
them  at  the  cannons'  mouth,  and 
under  the  most  fearful  threats  of  ex- 
termination and  death,  to  leave  not 
only  the  State,  but  also  the  Republic  : 
then  it  is  most  palpably  evident  that 
these  sovereign  States  are  at  open 
war  against  the  Constitution  and  the 
dearest  rights  of  American  citizens. 
Each  citizen  of  every  State,  is  also 
a  citizen  of  the  United  States ;  he 
has  State  rights  and  United  States' 
rights,  and  when  a  sovereign  State 
forcibly  and  without  law  deprives 
him  of  both  of  these  rights,  he  has 
no  appeal  only  to  the  General  Gov- 
ernment ;  and  it  is  her  province  to 
restore  the  injured  party  to  his  rights 
and  protect  him  therein,  and  to  bring 
the  sovereign  State  to  punishment 
for  her  treason  and  rebellion  against 
the  Constitution. 

Question. — Has  not  each  sovereign 
State  a  right  to  act  according  to  the 
wishes  of  the  majority'?  and  shruld 
not  the  voice  of  the  people  in  each 
State  rule? 

Answer. — They  have  a  right  to 
comply  with  the  wishes  of  the  major- 
ity, when  those  wishes  are  included 


within  the  limits  of  the  constitution ; 
but  the  moment  they  transcend  these, 
or  undertake  to  rule  by  the  voice  of 
the  people  in  violation  of  the  rights 
of  American  citizens,  their  sover- 
eignty should  no  longer  protect  them 
from  the  superior  power  of  the  Uni- 
ted States.  For  instance,  if  the  voice 
of  the  people  in  a  sovereign  State 
should  do  away  with  a  republican 
form  of  government,  and  establish  a 
king  instead  of  a  governor,  the  Gen- 
eral Government  would  then  have 
power  to  call  that  sovereign  State  to 
an  account,  and  to  protect  the  mi- 
nority of  her  citizens  in  the  rights 
called  for  by  the  constitution.  The 
voice  of  the  people,  therefore,  has  no 
right  to  rule  only  within  the  limits  of 
the  constitution.  Should  the  demo- 
crats, because  they  are  the  majority 
in  the  sovereign  State  of  Illinois, 
force  the  whigs  to  yield  up  their  con- 
stitutional rights,  drive  them  at  the 
cannons'  mouth  from  the  State,  and 
threaten  them  with  a  wholesale  exter- 
mination if  they  dared  to  stop  within 
a  thousand  miles  of  the  Republic,  we 
think  that  there  would  be  some  power 
in  the  General  Government  to  put  a 
stop  to  the  exercise  of  such  sover- 
eignty. We  think  that  the  voice  of 
the  people  thus  unconstitutionally  ex- 
ercised, would  not  screen  her  from 
the  justice  and  punishment  which  she 
would  so  richly  deserve.  Would  not 
the  United  States  by  military  power 
immediately  chastise  such  a  sovereign 
State,  and  restore  the  whigs  to  their 
houses,  their  homes,  and  their  rights 
as  American  citizens?  Every  man 
in  the  Union  will  answer  yes.  If 
this  would  be  clone  in  the  case  of  the 
whigs,    who    are    a    large    minority, 

;  should  it  not  also  be  done  in  the  case 
of  a  smaller  minority  ?     If  the  Gen- 

|  eral  Government  has  the  right  to 
protect  one  hundred  thousand  from  a 
wholesale  banishment,  she  has  the 
right  to  protect  thirty  thousand  from 

!  the  same  unjust  calamity.  In  the 
one  case  she  would  have  the  power 

I  and  disposition  ;  in  the  other  she  has 
the    power   but  not   the   disposition, 

,  and  this  makes  the  great  difference. 


196 


THE    TREATMENT    OF    TEE 


If  a  foreign  foe  should  make  war 
against  the  city  of  New  York,  and 
c\rive  her  citizens  a  thousand  miles 
from  their  homes,  you  would  not  hear 
the  General  Government  pretending 
that  they  had  no  power  nor  right  to 
chastise  that  foreign  foe.  If  the 
sovereign  State  of  New  York  should 
commit  the  same  depredations  upon 
the  city,  should  they  not  be  chastised 
as  an  internal  foe,  far  more  danger- 
ous than  a  foreign  enemy  ?  Is  not 
rebellion  against  the  dearest  rights 
of  American  citizens  far  more  out- 
rageous and  intolerable  than  the  ag- 
gressions of  foreign  nations  ]  If  the 
United  States  have  power  to  protect 
large  bodies  of  her  citizens  from  for- 
eign invasion,  is  it  not  an  absurdity 
to  say  that  she  cannot  protect  them 
from  home  invasions  1  Where  then 
is  the  argument  that  will  justify  the 
General  Government  in  their  cruel  ne- 
glect towards  thirty  thousand  Ameri- 
can citizens,  whom  they  have  seen 
robbed  and  expelled  from  their  homes 
by  the  marshalled  hosts  of  the  sov- 
reign  State  of  Illinois?  Is  there 
the  least  shadow  of  an'  excuse  for 
suffering  a  State  to  go  unpunished 
who  thus  suffers  her  own  citizens  to 
trample  upon  the  rights  of  the  mi- 
nority, and  deprive  them  of  houses, 
lands,  homes,  and  all  the  dearest 
rights  of  American  citizens,  and  ban- 
ish them,  by  wholesale,  a  thousand 
miles  from  their  country?  If  sov- 
reign  States  can  exercise  this  power 
without  being  amenable  to  the  Gen- 
eral Government,  where  then  is  safe- 
ty 1  Where  then  can  the  minority, 
against  whom  the  majority  shall  form 
a  dislike,  find  protection  from  the 
sword  and  the  bayonet  ?  Where  can 
they  appeal  for  protection,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  their  sacred  homes  and 
firesides,  if  not  to  the  General  Gov- 
ernment ?  What  shall  save  the  mi- 
nority, in  any  sovereign  State,  from 
being  expelled  from  their  country 
at  any  time  that  the  majority  shall 
tli ink  proper  to  attack  them  with 
powder  and  ball  1  Away,  then,  with 
the  unjust  assertion,  that  the  United 
States  have  no  right  nor  power  to 


protect  American  citizens  from  being 
butchered,  and  forcibly  driven  from 
their  country  by  the  marshalled  ar- 
mies of  sovereign  States  !  The  asser- 
tion is  too  glaring  to  blind  the  eyes 
of  ignorant  savages  ;  and  when  made 
to  enlightened  freemen,  it  is  an  in- 
sult of  the  most  aggravating  nature. 

Question. — But  were  these  thirty 
thousand  citizens  expelled  from  their 
homes  and  from  the  State,  by  the 
armies  of  the  State,  acting  under 
State  orders,  or  by  mob  armies  ? 

Answer. — It  matters  not  by  which 
it  was  done — it  is  certain  that  it  has 
been  done ;  and,  however  it  may 
have  been  done,  it  does  not  justify, 
in  the  least,  the  criminal  neglect  of 
the  General  Government.  First,  if 
it  were  clone  by  State  armies,  and 
by  State  authority,  then  the  United 
States  are  deeply  guilty  for  not 
bringing  that  rebellious  State  to 
justice,  and  for  not  restoring  those 
thirty  thousand  injured  citizens  to 
their  country — to  their  lands,  and  to 
their  Constitutional  rights ;  and  pro- 
tecting them  therein  as  American 
citizens.  Secondly,  if  they  were 
driven  from  the  country  by  mob 
armies,  then  the  State,  if  she  had 
power  to  protect  her  citizens,  and 
did  not  do  it,  is  equally  as  guilty 
as  if  she  had  expelled  them  by  her 
own  orders ;  and,  in  this  case,  the 
United  States  are  equally  as  guilty 
as  in  the  other  case  in  suffering  a 
sovereign  State  to  permit  American 
citizens  to  be  thus  treated.  Lastly, 
if  Illinois  has  not  the  power  to  pro- 
tect the  minority  against  the  aggres- 
sions of  the  majority,  then  it  was  the 
duty  of  the  United  States  to  have 
furnished  relief,  and  assisted  the 
State  in  protecting  the  minority  in 
their  constitutional  rights.  And  her 
neglect  to  do  this,  renders  her  equally 
as  guilty  as  in  the  former  two  cases. 
Therefore,  it  matters  not  whether 
those  thirty  thousand  were  cannon- 
aded out  of  the  State  by  the  orders 
of  the  State,  or  by  the  orders  of  a 
mob  through  the  neglect  of  the  State, 
or  by  the  armies  of  a  mob  whom  the 
State  had  not  sufficient  force  to  over- 


UNITED    STATES    TOWARDS    THE    SAINTS. 


197 


corae.  In  either  case,  the  neglect  of 
the  General  Government  is  equally 
criminal ;  and  the  acts  of  those  re- 
bellious armies  will  forever  be  con- 
sidered as  virtually  the  acts  of  the 
General  Government.  And  there  is 
no  way  in  which  they  can  wipe  away 
the  odium,  and  stain,  and  blood-guil- 
tiness which  are  upon  them,  and  which 
cry  loudly  to  the  heavens  for  ven- 
geance. It  is  true,  should  they  bring 
Missouri  and  Illinois  to  justice;  should 
they  restore  those  exiled  citizens  to 
their  country,  their  lands,  and  their 
homes,  and  protect  them  therein  ;  and 
restore  the  millions  of  dollars  worth 
of  property  which  those  States  have 
suffered  to  be  violently  taken  from 
them ;  it  would  manifest,  in  some 
measure,  a  repentance  on  the  part  of 
the  General  Government,  and  serve, 
in  some  small  degree,  to  remove  the 
stigma  that  is  upon  them;  but  all 
this  would  not  restore  the  lives  of 
hundreds  of  American  citizens  who 
have  been  murdered  and  butchered 
by  their  cold  and  unfeeling  neglect. 

Question. — Have  those  injured  ex- 
iled American  citizens  ever  memori- 
alized the  General  Government  upon 
the  subject  of  their  wrongs,  and  sought 
redress  from  their  hands,  and  protec- 
tion in  their  constitutional  rights  ? 

Answer. — Yes  :  After  fifteen  thou- 
sand American  citizens  had  been 
driven  from  the  State  of  Missouri, 
under  the  exterminating  orders  of 
Governor  Boggs,  having  previously 
applied  to  the  judicial  and  legislative 
authority  of  that  State  in  vain,  they 
sent  their  delegates  with  a  memorial 
to  the  President  and  to  Congress, 
who  had  the  unblushing  impudence 
to  refer  them  for  redress  to  the  very 
State  whose  Governor  had  driven 
them  from  her  borders,  and  whose 
Legislature  had  voted  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars  to  pay  her  troops 
for  their  blood-thirsty  and  uncon- 
stitutional acts.  Yes,  they  were  told 
to  go  and  seek  redress  from  their 
murderers,  and  from  the  murderers 
of  their  wives  and  children. 

And  again,  when  threatened  with 
like  calamities  by  the  State  of  Illi- 


nois, memorials  were  again  sent  to 
the  President  and  to  Congress,  earn- 
estly imploring  protection.  I,  my- 
self, as  the  Agent  and  Delegate  of 
that  injured  people,  waited  about  ten 
weeks  at  the  Capital  for  a  report 
upon  these  memorials  ;  but  they  were 
treated  with  silent  neglect !  and  in  a 
few  weeks  afterwards  the  Prophet 
and  others  were  murdered ;  and  but 
a  short  time  elapsed  before  thirty 
thousand  were  forced  from  their 
homes  and  banished  from  the  coun- 
try. What  has  the  Government 
done,  in  one  single  instance,  to  pro- 
tect them  or  restore  them  to  their 
rights,  during  the  long  period  of 
twenty  years'  suffering  and  banish- 
ment ?  Just  nothing  at  all.  They 
have  been  treated  as  though  they 
were  not  American  citizens — they 
have  been  deprived  of  every  sacred 
right  in  the  Constitution — they  have 
been  whipped,  mauled,  and  beaten, 
until  their  bowels  have  gushed  out ; 
they  have  been  robbed,  plundered, 
and  driven,  year  after  year,  from 
county  to  county,  and  from  state 
to  state  :  they  have  been  incarcera- 
ted in  dungeons,  bound  down  with 
strong  chains,  like  wild  beasts,  and 
there  fed  with  human  flesh  cut  from 
their  murdered  friends.  They  have 
been  tortured,  shot,  and  murdered 
in  various  ways ;  and  to  cap  the  cli- 
max, they  have,  en  masse,  been  can- 
nonaded, not  only  from  a  State,  but 
from  the  United  States  ;  and  threat- 
ened that  if  they  stopped  short  of 
the  Sandy  Deserts,  west  of  the  Eocky 
Mountains,  they  should  be  butchered 
and  exterminated  without  regard  to 
age  or  sex.  What  more  can  this 
nation  do  to  fully  and  entirely  reject 
the  divine  message  which  God  has 
sent  into  the  world  to  warn  them  of 
their  sins,  and  to  save  them  if  they 
repent  1  They  can  do  nothing  worse 
than  what  they  have  already  done. 
They  can  react  those  murderous 
scenes  over  again,  and  thus  fill  up 
the  cup  of  their  iniquities ;  but  they 
cannot  perpetrate  deeds  of  a  more 
horrid  nature  than  those  of  which 
they  are  already  guilty.      Editor. 


198 


FAITH. 


FAITH. 


What  is  faith  1  This  is  a  question 
often  asked,  and  often  answered  in 
different  ways.  We  shall  not  at- 
tempt to  give  the  different  views  of 
people  upon  this  principle,  but  only 
to  clearly  define  our  own.  Faith  is 
simply  the  belief,  the  confidence,  or 
the  assent  of  the  mind  in  relation  to 
any  subject,  or  proposition,  or  thing, 
whether  true  or  false,  which  it  sup- 
poses to  be  true.  Faith  is  the  result 
of  evidence.  True  evidence,  when 
believed,  produces  true  faith  :  false 
evidence,  when  believed,  produces 
false  faith.  Neither  a  true  nor  false 
faith  could  exist  without  evidence. 
A  child,  seeing  others  walk,  believes 
that  he  can  walk,  and  accordingly 
makes  the  exertion  and  succeeds  in 
taking  a  few  steps.  Now  he  would 
never  have  made  the  exertion  with- 
out having  some  faith  that  it  was 
possible;  this  faith  in  the  child's 
mind  is  the  result  of  evidence.  A 
man,  seeing  others  swim  in  water, 
believes  on  this  evidence,  and  other 
circumstances,  that  it  is  possible  for 
himself  to  perform  the  same  act.  He 
makes  the  attempt  because  of  his 
faith.  Truthful  parents  relate  many 
facts  and  incidents  to  their  little 
children,  who,  having  a  degree  of 
faith  in  their  words,  follow  their  di- 
rections, and  demonstrate  by  actual 
experience  that  those  words  are  verily 
true.  These  frequent  demonstrations 
beget  almost  unlimited  confidence  in 
what  their  parents  tell  them.  Their 
words  are  considered  sufficient  evi- 
dence on  almost  any  subject.  These 
same  parents,  being,  in  some  things, 
deceived  themselves,  teach  their  er- 
rors to  their  children ;  the  children, 
having  proved  in  every  preceding 
instance  that  their  words  were  true, 
receive  their  evidence  in  relation  to 
what  is  false,  the  result  is  a  false 
faith,  founded  upon  false  evidence, 
which  they  sincerely  suppose  to  be 
true.  The  faith  of  the  heathen  in 
their  idolatrous,  gods  is  the  result  of 


false  evidence :  and  their  faith  is  weak 
or  strong  just  in  proportion  to  the 
apparent  weakness  or  strength  of  the 
evidence.  The  faith  of  the  Roman 
Catholics,  that  the  Bible  and  tradi- 
tion without  any  new  revelation,  are 
a  sufficient  rule  of  faith  and  practice, 
is  just  as  much  the  result  of  a  false 
traditionary  evidence,  as  the  faith  of 
the  Protestants  in  regard  to  the  Bible 
alone  being  sufficient.  The  faith  of 
Christendom  in  their  newly  invented 
"god,  without  hodij  or  parts"  is  just 
as  much  the  result  of  false  evidence,, 
as  the  faith  of  the  Hindoos  in  their 
gods  of  more  ancient  invention. 

Before  we  can  have  faith  in  any 
thing  we  must  first  have  evidence, 
for  in  all  cases  evidence  precedes 
faith,  and  in  searching  after  evidence 
we  are  exceedingly  liable  to  be  de- 
ceived. All  the  inhabitants  of  our 
globe  were  for  many  ages  deceived 
,  in  supposing  that  the  earth  had  no 
\  diurnal  rotation  upon  its  axis :  they 
|  believed  that  the  apparent  diurnal  ro- 
I  tation  of  the  heavenly  bodies  around 
the  earth  was  real.  This  universal 
and  long  continued  delusion  was  the 
j  result  of  receiving  false  evidence, 
!  handed  down  and  rendered  sacred 
'  by  tradition.  Among  all  the  ante- 
diluvian world  only  eight  persons 
'  had  the  true  faith  :  all  the  rest  per- 
ished with  a  false  faith. 

A  false  faith  in  regard  to  some 
things  is  far  more  dangerous  than  in 
others.  To  believe  that  the  sun  per- 
forms an  annual  revolution  around 
the  earth,  though  it  is  known  to  be 
false,  is  not  attended  with  any  very 
dangerous  consequences ;  but  to  be- 
lieve a  divine  message,  sent  from 
heaven,  is  false  is  attended  with  con- 
sequences of  the  most  fearful  kind, 
involving  the  present  and  future  hap- 
piness of  the  soul.  So,  likewise,  to 
believe  a  religion,  invented  by  unin- 
spired men,  to  be  of  divine  origin,  is 
equally  fatal  in  its  consequences. 

Faith  most  generally  leads  to  works 


FAITH. 


199 


corresponding  in  nature  'with  the  be-  I 
lief.     Faith  in  the  heathen  systems  i 
of  mythology  caused  whole  nations1 
and  generations  to  worship  according 
to  those  systems.     Faith  in  the  cor-  I 
rupt  systems  of  modern  Christianity 
causes    the   nations  of   Europe  and 
America  to  practice  in   accordance 
therewith.     Faith  in  new  revelations 
leads  people  to  practice  according  to 
the  requirements  contained  in  them,  j 

It  is  sometimes  the  case,  however,  j 
that  people  practice  contrary  to  their 
faith,  being  governed  by  some  motive 
of  a  more  powerful  nature.  A  per- 
son may  have  a  degree  of  faith  in 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  yet,  through 
fear  of  persecution,  or  some  other 
cause,  he  may  refuse  obedience  to 
its  requirements.  A  farmer  may  be- 
lieve that  if  he  sows  his  fields  and 
cultivates  them  they  will  yield  an 
abundant  harvest,  but,  through  lazi- 
ness, he  neglects  to  act  according  to 
his  faith,  and  therefore  does  not  reap 
the  reward.  When  faith,  either  true 
or  false,  is  sufficiently  powerful  to 
lead  to  action,  it  produces  effects 
accordingly.  The  faith  of  Paul  that 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  an  impostor 
led  him  to  do  many  things  against 
him  :  his  faith,  after  seeing  the  light 
and  hearing  the  voice  from  the  heav- 
ens, led  him  to  spend  his  life  in  advo- 
cating his  doctrine.  The  faith  of 
some  led  them  to  think  that  they 
were  doing  God  service  in  killing  the 
Apostles;  the  faith  of  others  made 
them  willing  to  die  for  their  testi- 
mony concerning  Jesus.  The  mur- 
derers of  the  apostles,  and  the  apos- 
tles themselves,  both  had  faith  and 
works ;  the  one  had  false  faith  and 
wicked  works ;  the  other  had  true 
faith  and  righteous  works.  Faith 
alone  will  not  save  men  ;  neither  will 
faith  and  works  save  them,  unless 
they  are  of  the  right  kind.  Indeed 
the  faith  and  works  of  the  greatest 
portion  of  mankind  will  be  the  very 
cause  of  their  damnation.  True  faith 
and  righteous  works  are  essential  to 
salvation;  and  without  both  of  these 
no  man  ever  was  or  ever  can  be  saved. 

Unless  the  true  principles  of  sal- 


vation be  revealed  and  established 
by  sufficient  evidence,  there  could  be 
no  true  faith  and  works  by  which 
mankind  could  obtain  salvation  ;  for 
in  the  system  of  salvation,  works  fol- 
low faith,  and  faith  follows  evidence, 
and  evidence  accompanies  the  re- 
vealed truth.  For  instance,  God 
reveals  the  great  and  sublime  truths 
contained  in  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
Next,  He  sends  evidence  sufficient 
to  convince  mankind  of  the  divine 
authenticity  of  these  truths.  Third- 
ly, this  evidence  produces  faith  in 
the  minds  of  those  who  candidly  and 
carefully  examine  it.  Fourthly,  this 
faith  will  lead  the  honest  to  do  the 
works  required  of  them  in  that  book. 
And  lastly,  through  the  atonement 
of  Christ  these  faith  and  works,  com- 
bined together,  will  surely  save  them 
in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

The  evidence  which  God  always 
gives  to  establish  the  divinity  of  His 
revelations,  is  sufficient  to  produce 
faith  in  the  heart  of  every  person 
living,  who  examines  it  in  a  proper 
manner.  Hence  every  creature  iu 
all  the  world,  who  has  come  to  years 
of  understanding,  and  who  has  evi- 
dence placed  within  his  reach,  is 
condemned  if  he  does  not  believe  it. 
There  are  some  who  say  that,  if  the 
evidence  were  sufficient,  they  would 
be  compelled  to  believe  ;  but  this  is 
not  true, — the  evidence  may  be  suf- 
ficient, and  yet  they  may  refuse  to 
examine  it ;  or  they  may  examine  it 
with  prejudiced  minds,  or  they  may 
be  careless  iu  their  examinations,  or 
they  may  refuse  to  examine  it  in  the 
manner  in  which  God  has  directed  ; 
or  they  may  examine  it  with  a  deter- 
mination not  to  embrace  it,  even 
though  it  be  true :  or  they  may  be 
partial  in  weighing  the  evidence  for, 
and  apparently  against  it,  with  a 
most  anxious  desire  and  hope,  that 
they  shall  find  it  false.  All  these 
obstacles,  and  many  others  that 
might  be  named,  prevent  them  from 
believing  that  which  an  honest,  can- 
did, unprejudiced,  and  prayerful 
mind  would  believe.  Therefore  it  is 
not  for  the  lack  of   evidence    that 


200 


FAITH. 


they  disbelieve,  but  it  ia  their  own 
evil  hearts,  and  the  darkness  which 
they  bring  with  them  in  their  inves- 
tigations. "When  God  reveals  a 
truth,  as  it  is  always  accompanied 
with  sufficient  evidence,  all  people, 
because  of  their  agency,  can  believe 
or  disbelieve  it,  as  they  choose  ;  and 
if  they  believe  it,  they  can  also  obey 
or  disobey  it,  as  they  choose  :  and 
herein  is  the  condemnation  of  man, 
because  they  prefer  unbelief  to  faith, 
and  disobedience  to  obedience. 

When  the  Apostles  were  com- 
manded to  go  into  all  the  world  and 
preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature, 
they  were  informed  that  he  who  be- 
lieved the  Gospel  and  was  baptized 
should  be  saved ;  and  he  who  be- 
lieved not  should  be  damned.  To 
believe  the  Gospel,  as  the  Apostles 
preached  it,  was  not  sufficient,  but 
Jesus  added  the  condition  of  bap- 
tism, clearly  showing  that  their  faith 
must  be  manifested  by  their  works, 
otherwise  it  would  be  of  no  benefit 
to  them.  Jesus  very  well  understood 
that  the  works  necessary  to  salvation 
never  would  be  performed  without 
faith,  which  always  precedes  them ; 
and  as  this  faith  was  in  their  power  to 
obtain  through  the  evidence  offered 
by  the  preaching  of  his  Apostles,  he 
determined  to  damn  every  creature 
in  all  the  world  that  would  not  be- 
lieve the  message  they  taught. 

There  are  some  who  believe  that 
faith  alone,  unaccompanied  by  works, 
is  sufficient  for  justification,  sancti- 
fication,  and  salvation.  But  what 
would  it  benefit  a  hungry  man,  in  a 
field,  who  believes  that  in  the  house 
there  is  a  table  spread  for  him,  with 
an  abundance  of  food,  if  he  make  no 
exertion  to  approach  the  house  and 
obtain  the  blessing  ?  What  profit 
would  it  be  to  a  rich  man  who  has 
faith  in  the  words  of  Jesus,  concern- 
ing the  feeding  of  the  hungry  and 
the  clothing  of  the  naked,  unless  he 
have  works  corresponding  to  that 
faith  ?  What  blessing  would  be  ob- 
tained by  believing  every  word  which 
Christ  has  spoken,  unless  we  do  them  % 
It  is  not  the  person  who  merely  be- 


lieves in  the  sayings  of  Christ,  that 
is  justified,  but  it  is  he  who  shows 
his  faith  by  obeying  them.  When 
Jesus  speaks  of  believers,  he  has 
reference,  most  generally,  to  those 
whose  faith  had  been  sufficiently 
strong  to  lead  them  to  obedience. 
It  is  to  these  kind  of  believers  that 
he  refers  in  the  following  passages  : 
"  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  he 
that  hearcth  my  words,  and  be- 
lieveth  on  him  that  sent  me,  hath 
everlasting  life,  and  shall  not  come 
unto  condemnation ;  but  is  passed 
from  death  unto  life."  "  For  God 
so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever 
believeth  in  him  should  not  perish, 
but  have  everlasting  life."  "  He 
that  believeth  on  him  is  not  con- 
demned." 

Jesus  here  refers  to  a  class  of  be- 
lievers who  should  fully  prove  their 
faith  by  their  obedience.  Such,  and 
such  alone,  should  be  freed  from  con- 
demnation— should  pass  from  death 
unto  life — should  become  the  chil- 
dren of  God  by  having  a  faith  that 
would  lead  them  to  obey.  All  other 
believers  are  without  justification — 
without  hope — without  everlasting 
life,  and  will  be  damned,  the  same 
as  unbelievers,  because  they  profess 
to  believe  on  the  words  of  the  Son  of 
God,  but  will  not  obey  them. 

Jesus  says,  "  If  a  man  love  me, 
he  will  keep  my  words;  and  my 
Father  will  love  him,  and  we  will 
come  unto  him,  and  make  our  abode 
with  him.  He  that  loveth  me  not 
keepeth  not  my  sayings."  As  a 
man's  love  is  manifested  by  his  works, 
so  is  his  faith. 

John  says  that,  "  Whosoever  be- 
lieveth that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  is  born 
of  God."  It  is  evident,  from  the 
whole  Epistle  in  which  these  words 
are  contained,  that  none  were  to  be 
considered  as  really  believing  that 
Jesus  was  the  Christ,  only  those  who 
manifested  it  by  keeping  his  com- 
mandments ;  for  he  further  says, 
"  Hereby  we  do  know  that  we  know 
him,  if  we  keep  his  commandments. 
He    that    saith,   I   know   him    and 


FAITH. 


201 


keepetli  not  his  commandments,  is '  is  an  immersion  in  water  for  the  re- 
a  liar,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  him.  mission  of  sins :  the  third  is  the  re- 
13ut  whoso  keepeth  his  word,  in  him  ccption  of  the  ordinance  of  the  laying 
verily  is  the  love  of  God  perfected  :  on  of  the  hands  for  the  baptism  of  the 
hereby  know  we  that  we  are  in  him."  Holy  Ghost :  these  are  the  first  coni- 
And  again,  he  says,  "Every  one  mandments  in  the  Gospel.  No  man 
that  doeth  righteousness  is  born  of  has  a  saving  faith  without  attending 
him."  "  Whosoever  doeth  not  righ-  to  these  three  requirements.  No 
teousness  is  not  of  God."  "  He  that  person  can  be  a  believer  in  Christ, 
keepeth  his  commandments  dwelleth  in  the  scriptural  sense  of  that  term, 
in  him,  and  he  in  him."  "  Every  without  complying,  in  the  strictest 
one  that  loveth  is  born  of  God,  and  manner,  with  these  commandments: 
knoweth  God."  "  He  that  loveth  without  receiving  these,  it  will  be  in 
not,  knoweth  not  God  ;  for  God  is  vain  for  him  to  pray  for  a  forgiveness 
love."  "  He  that  dwelleth  in  love,  of  sins,  or  for  the  baptism  of  the  spir- 
dwelleth  in  God,  and  God  in  him.  it,  or  for  salvation  :  and  if  he  flatters 
Herein  is  our  love  made  perfect,  that  himself  that  he  loves  God,  or  that 
we  may  have  boldness  in  the  day  of;  he  can  obtain  eternal  life  without 
judgment ;  because,  as  he  is,  so  are  obeying  these  first  commandments, 
we  in  this  world.  There  is  no  fear  ho  is  wofully  deceived.  Indeed,  these 
in  love,  but  perfect  love  casteth  out  are  the  introductory  principles,  and 
fear  ;  because  fear  hath  torment,  lie  the  only  principles  by  which  men  and 
that  feareth  is  not  made  perfect  in  women  can  be  born  into  the  king- 
love.  AVe  love  him  because  he  first  c]0m  of  Christ,  and  become  his  sons 
loved  us."  "  This  is  the  love  of  and  daughters.  After  attending  to 
God,  that  we  keep  his  command-  these,  there  are  other  commandments 
ments  ;  and  his  commandments  arc  for  them  to  obey  ;  but  if  they  under- 
not  grievous."  take   to   obey  the  others  first,   they 

From  all  these  passages  it  is  easy  i  will  find  their  endeavors  unaccepta- 
to  perceive  that  salvation  depends  ble  in  the  sight  of  God.  For  instance, 
upon  our  loving  God;  and  that  lov-  God  requires  his  sons  and  daughters 
ing  God  is  the  keeping  of  his  com-  to  keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy  ;  but 
mandments;  and  the  keeping  of  his  no  man  can  keep  the  Sabbath  holy 
commandments  is  the  only  sure  evi-  until  he  has  attended  to  the  first  three 
dence  of  our  really  believing  that  commandments  of  the  Gospel,  alter 
Jesus  is  the  Christ.  Let  no  persons,  which  he  can  keep  the  Sabbaih  ac- 
therefore,  flatter  or  deceive  them- |  cording  to  the  mind  of  God,  but  not 
selves  with  the  idea  that  they  believe  before.  There  are  many  command- 
from  their  heart,  that  Jesus  is  the,  ments  which  none  but  those  who  are 
Christ,  or  that  they  are  born  of  God  ;  I  born  of  God  can  keep.  And  for  a 
or  that  they  have  passed  from  death  man  to  undertake  to  keep  them  before 
unto  life,  or  that  they  love  God,  un-  attending  to  the  first  three,  would  be 
less  they  are  certain  that  they  have  like  a  child's  undertaking  to  read  be- 
kept  his  commandments  and  sayings,  fore  it  had  learned  the  alphabet. 
Millions  are  deceiving  themselves  with  |  A  faith,  then,  that  brings  remis- 
a  false  faith  and  with  a  false  hope—  '  sion  of  sins  or  justification  to  the 
deluding  themselves  with  the  notion  sinner,  is  that  which  is  connected 
that  they  are  born  of  God,  when  they  ,  with  repentance  and  baptism.  Faith 
have  not  attended  even  to  the  first  alone  will  not  justify;  faith  and  re- 
commandments  in  relation  to  their  ;pentance  alone  will  not  justify  ;  faith 
adoption.  All  such  will  meet  with  a  and  baptism  alone  will  not  justify  ; 
bitter  disappointment. 


The  first  effect  of  true  faith  is  a 
sincere,  true,  and  thorough  repen- 
tance of  all  sins ;  the  second  effect 


but  faith,  repentance  and  baptism 
will  justify  and  bring  remission  of 
sins  ihrough  the  blood  of  Christ. 
What  does  Paul  mean,  when  he  says, 


202 


FAITH. 


"Therefore  being  justified  by  faith 
we  have  peace  with  God  through  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  ?"  He  means  that 
faith  is  the  starting  point — the  foun- 
dation and  cause  of  our  repentance 
and  baptism  which  bring  remission 
or  justification  ;  and  being  the  cause 
which  leads  to  those  results,  it  is  not 
improper  to  impute  justification  to 
faith.  What  does  that  scripture  mean 
that  says,  "If  thou  shalt  confess  with 
thy  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  shalt 
believe  in  thine  heart  that  God  hath 
raised  him  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt 
be  saved.  For  with  the  heart  man 
believeth  unto  righteousness,  and  with 
the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto 
salvation  ?"  It  means  that  real  faith 
in  the  heart  is  that  which  leads  to 
obedience:  for  a  man  who  does  not 
obey,  only  has  a  degree  of  faith,  and 
not  a  living  faith  in  the  heart  which 
in  all  cases  will  lead  to  repentance, 
confession,  baptism,  laying  on  of 
hands,  &e.  All  will  admit  that  to 
believe  with  the  heart  leads  to  and 
includes  repentance.  Why  not  also 
admit  that  it  includes  every  other 
commandment  of  the  gospel  ?  Be- 
cause believing  with  the  heart  in  the 
resurrection  of  Christ  is  the  moving 
cause  of  obedieuce  which  brings  sal- 
vation, it  may  well  be  said  that  salva- 
tion is  the  result  of  faith. 

There  has  been  much  dispute 
among  mankind  in  regard  to  justifi- 
cation. Some  have  supposed  that  we 
are  justified  by  the  blood  of  Christ 
by  simple  faith  alone,  without  per- 
forming any  works  either  of  the  law 
or  gospel.  Others  suppose  that  we 
are  justified  by  the  blood  of  Christ  by 
simply  adding  repentance  to  our  faith 
without  any  further  works.  Others 
contend  that  all  mankind  will  be  jus- 
tified and  saved  through  the  blood  of 
Christ,  without  either  faith  or  works. 
All  these  admit  that  the  atonement 
of  Christ  is  necessary  to  justification. 
The  only  dispute  seems  to  be  in  re- 
gard to  the  conditions  required  of  the 
creature  by  which  he  receives  the 
justification  purchased  by  the  atone- 
ment. Those  who  believe  that  sim- 
ple faith  alone,  without  works,  is  the 


only  condition  recpuired,  generally 
urge  the  following  passages  in  sup- 
port of  that  view  :  "For  if  Abraham 
were  justified  by  works,  he  hath 
whereof  to  glory ;  but  not  before 
God.  For  what  saith  the  scripture  ? 
Abraham  believed  God,  and  it  was 
counted  unto  him  for  righteousness. 
Now  to  him  that  worketh  is  the  re- 
ward not  reckoned  of  grace,  but  of 
debt.  But  to  him  that  worketh  not, 
but  believeth  on  him  that  justifieth 
the  ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted  for 
righteousness.  Even  as  David  also  de- 
scribeth  the  man,  unto  whom  God  im- 
puteth  righteousness  without  works." 
(Rom.  4  :  2 — 6.)  Those  who  believe 
works  necessary  to  justification,  quote 
the  following  :  "  What  doth  it  profit, 
my  brethren,  though  a  man  say  he 
hath  faith,  and  have  not  works  ?  Can 
faith  save  him?"  "Faith,  if  it  hath 
not  works,  is  dead,  being  alone.  Yea, 
a  man  may  say,  Thou  hast  faith, 
and  I  have  works :  show  me  thy  faith 
without  thy  works,  and  I  will  show 
thee  my  faith  by  my  works.  Thou 
believest  that  there  is  one  God  ;  thou 
doest  well :  the  devils  also  believe 
and  tremble.  But  wilt  thou  know, 
O  vain  man,  that  faith  without  works 
is  dead  ?  Was  not  Abraham,  our 
father,  justified  by  works,  when  he 
had  offered  Isaac,  his  son,  upon  the 
altar?  Seest  thou  how  faith  wrought 
with  his  works,  and  by  works  was 
faith  made  perfect  ?  And  the  scrip- 
ture was  fulfilled  which  saith,  Abra- 
ham believed  God,  and  it  was  imputed 
unto  him  for  righteousness  :  and  he 
was  called  the  Friend  of  God.  "Ye 
see  then  how  that  by  works  a  man  is 
justified,  and  not  by  faith  only.  Like- 
wise also  was  not  Rahab,  the  harlot, 
justified  by  works,  when  she  had  re- 
ceived the  messengers,  and  had  sent 
them  out  another  way  ?  For  as  the 
body  without  the  spirit  is  dead,  so 
faith,  without  works,  is  dead  also." 
(James  2  :  14 — 26.)  Raul  and  James 
seem  apparently  to  contradict  each 
other;  and  this  has  been  the  cause  of 
differences  of  opinion  in  our  day: 
but  these  apparent  contradictions  can 
easily  be  reconciled,  if  we  take  into 
consideration  the   two  different  sub- 


FAITH. 


203 


jects  upon  which  they  were  writing. 
Paul  was  writing  to  a  people  who 
were  inclined  to  believe  in  circum- 
cision, and  other  works  of  the  ancient 
law  which  had  been  done  away  in 
Christ.  And  he  shows  clearly  that 
circumcision  and  many  of  those  an- 
cient laws  were  given  in  the  earlier 
ages,  not  to  take  away  past  sins  or 
to  justify  those  to  whom  they  were 
given,  but  for  various  other  purposes; 
and  that  by  complying  with  those 
works,  they  did  nothing  more  than 
what  they  were  indebted  to  do,  and 
that  the  reward  attached  to  these  acts 
was  "  not  reckoned  of  grace,  but  of 
debt;"  or  in  other  words,  the  reward 
of  grace  is  a  forgiveness  of  past  sins; 
but  the  reward  of  debt  is  a  freedom 
from  the  condemnation,  not  of  past 
sins,  but  of  the  sins  which  would  ex- 
ist in  case  we  refused  to  pay  the  debt: 
for  instance,  God  commanded  Abra- 
ham to  circumcise  himself  and  all  the 
males  of  his  house,  not  to  justify 
himself  or  his  house  of  past  sins,  but 
for  another  purpose.  When  this  com- 
mandment was  given,  it  brought  Abra- 
ham under  obligations  to  obey  it;  it 
was  a  debt  he  owed  to  the  Lord  ;  if 
he  paid  it,  there  would  be  no  con- 
demnation arising  from  disobedience 
in  relation  to  that  particular  com- 
mandment, and  he  would  have  the 
reward  of  a  clear  conscience,  so  far 
as  the  payment  of  that  particular  debt 
was  concerned;  but  in  all  this  there 
is  no  reward  of  grace  manifested  in 
the  forgiveness  of  any  sins  which 
may  have  previously  been  committed. 
Therefore  as  obedience  to  these  par- 
ticular laws  did  not  bring  remission  of 
sins,  Paul  could  with  propriety  say 
that  Abraham  and  others  were  not  jus- 
tified by  works,  that  is,  by  such  works 
of  the  law  as  circumcision,  &c,  which 
were  given  for  a  very  different  pur- 
pose than  that  of  justification.  Jt  was 
very  necessary  that  Abraham  should 
do  those  works,  though  they  were 
not  works  intended  to  bring  remis- 
sion of  sins  or  justification,  yet  the 
performance  of  them  would  prevent 
the  sin  of  negligence,  and  would  also 
bring  such  blessings  as  were  attached 
to  them  by  way  of  promise.     But  af- 


ter these  laws  and  circumcision  were 
done  away  in  Christ,  then  Paul  could 
say,  "  But  to  him  that  worketh  not, 
but  belicveth  on  him  that  justifieth 
the  ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted  for 
righteousness."  If  those  laws  and 
ordinances  which  were  given  to  Abra- 
ham to  perform,  were  not  intended  to 
justify  him  of  his  past  sins,  much  less 
would  they  justify  those  who  lived 
after  Christ,  when  they  were  done 
away.  After  Christ,  these  works 
given  to  Abraham  to  perform,  were 
not  considered  even  as  a  debt  binding 
upon  any :  they  were  works,  there- 
fore, that  would  be  sinful  to  perform. 
The  faith  of  that  man  that  "  worketh 
not,"  that  is,  that  does  not  perform 
works  that  are  done  away,  "is  coun- 
ted for  righteousness." 

But  as  Abraham  was  justified  by 
faith,  it  may  not  be  improper  to  in- 
quire whether  there  were  any  other 
class  of  works,  connected  with  his  faith, 
that  were  of  a  justifying  nature.  Paul 
says,  "  The  Scripture  foreseeing  that 
God  would  justify  the  heathen  through 
faith,  preached  before  the  gospel  unto 
Abraham,  saying:  In  thee  shall  all 
nations  be  blest." — (Gal.  3  :  8.)  From 
this  we  learn,  that  the  same  gospel 
that  was  to  justify  the  heathen  through 
faith,  and  bless  all  nations,  was  ac- 
tually preached  to  Abraham.  Now 
in  the  gospel  there  are  certain  works 
to  be  connected  with  faith  for  justifi- 
cation :  by  these  works  of  the  gospel, 
he  manifested  his  faith  and  obtained 
justification  ;  and  not  by  the  works  of 
the  law,  such  as  circumcision,  &c. 
Paul  says,  "Faith  was  reckoned  to 
Abraham  for  righteousness.  How 
was  it  then  reckoned  ?  when  he  was 
in  circumcision  or  in  uncircumcision  ? 
Not  in  circumcision,  but  in  uncircum- 
cision. And  he  received  the  sign  of 
circumcision,  a  seal  of  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  faith  which  he  had,  yet 
being  uncircumcised  :  that  he  might 
be  the  father  of  all  them  that  believe, 
though  they  be  not  circumcised  :  that 
righteousness  might  be  imputed  unto 
them  also  ;  and  the  father  of  circum- 
cision to  them  who  are  not  of  the 
circumcision  only,  but  who  also  walk 
in  the  steps   of  our  father  Abraham, 


204 


QUESTIONS   AND    ANSWERS   ON   DOCTRINE. 


which  he  -had  being  yet  uncircum- 
cised." — (Rom.  4  :  9-12.)  From  these 
passages  we  learn,  that  Abraham  was 
justified  before  circumcision,  conse- 
quently the  gospel  of  justification 
must  have  been  preached  to  him  be- 
fore that  law  was  given.  That  there 
were  works  connected  with  the  gos- 
pel preached  to  Abraham,  is  evident 
from  the  fact  that  all  the  heathen  na- 
tions who  lived  in  the  Apostles'  days, 
could  be  justified  and  become  his 
children  by  walking,  as  Paul  says, 
"  in  the  steps  of  that  faith  of  our 
father  Abraham."  There  were  cer- 
tain steps  pertaining  to  the  gospel 
s.nd  faith  of  Abraham,  in  which  he 
walked ;  otherwise  he  could  not  have 
been  justified.  Whatever  works  these 
steps  of  justification  included,  the  very 
same   were  required  of  the  heathen 


after  Christ.  These  steps  of  the  gos- 
pel, since  Christ,  we  have  already  ob- 
served, are  Repentance  and  Baptism, 
which  bring  remission  of  sins  and 
justification,  being  the  results  of  faith, 
or  in  other  words,  the  steps  of  faith 
that  Abraham  walked  in.  Therefore 
"to  him  that  worketh  not"  the  works 
of  circumcision  and  other  laws  that 
are  done  away,  but  performeth  the 
works  of  the  gospel,  "his  faith  is 
counted  for  righteousness,"  the  same 
as  Abraham's  was  who  walked  in  the 
steps  of  the  same  gospel,  and  was  jus- 
tified in  the  same  way.  This  view 
of  the  subject  perfectly  reconciles  the 
teachings  of  both  Paul  and  James,  and 
shows  most  clearly  that  both  were 
correct,  when  their  statements  are  ap- 
plied to  the  two  different  subjects  upon 
which  they  were  writing.      Editor. 


QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

BY  THE  EDITOR. 


Question.  How  many  ways  has  God 
ordained  to  obtain  eternal  life  ? 

Answer.  Only  one. 

Q.  How  many  dispensations  has 
God  sent  into  the  world  ? 

A.  Many  hundreds. 

Q.  Has  not  God's  plan  of  saving 
men  been  different  under  different 
dispensations  ? 

A.  Not  in  the  least,  so  far  as  certain 
laws  and  ordinances  are  concerned. 

Q.  What  is  the  plan  of  salvation? 

A.  It  is  to  believe  and  do  all  things 
that  God  requires  of  us,  and  then  we 
shall  be  saved  through  the  atonement 
of  Christ. 

Q.  Has  God  required  mankind  un- 
der different  dispensations  to  believe 
and  do  the  same  things  ? 

A.  In  some  respects  He  has,  in  oth- 
ers, He  has  not. 

Q.  What  are  those  general  laws 
and  ordinances  necessary  to  be  be- 
lieved and  obeyed  in  all  dispensations, 
in  order  to  obtain  a  complete  salva- 
tion ? 


A.  They  are,  first,  Faith  in  the 
atonement  of  Christ;  second,  Repent- 
ance of  all  sin  ;  third,  Immersion  in 
water  for  the  remission  of  sins;  fourth, 
the  Baptism  of  Fire  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  through  the  ordinance  of  Con- 
firmation, or  the  laying  on  of  hands. 

Q.  Could  not  any  man  from  Adam 
to  Christ  receive  a  full  salvation  with- 
out being  Baptized  in  water  and  with 
the  Holy  Ghost  ? 

A.  No ;  unless  some  other  person 
authorized  has  been  or  shall  be  bap- 
tized for  him  after  he  is  dead.  Neither 
can  any  man  from  Christ  to  the  end 
of  the  world,  enter  into  the  Celestial 
Kingdom  without  embracing  these 
same  principles. 

Q.  Who  has  authority  to  Baptize 
and  Confirm  ? 

A-  None  but  those  whom  God  has 
called  and  ordained. 

Q.  Have  the  Roman  Catholics  au- 
thority to  baptize  ? 

A.  No  :  for  they  have  no  inspired 
Apostles  and  Prophets  among  them  : 


QUESTIONS   AND   ANSWERS   ON    DOCTRINE. 


205 


neither  have  they  any  new  revelations, 
and  without  these  things  no  one  ever 
was  or  ever  can  be  called  to  the  min- 
istry ? 

Q.  Is  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
the  Church  of  Christ? 

A.  No :  for  she  has  no  inspired 
priesthood  or  officers,  without  which 
the  Church  of  Christ  never  did  nor 
never  can  exist. 

Q.  How  long  since  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  lost  the  authority 
and  ceased  to  be  the  Church  of  Christ? 

A.  She  never  had  authority,  and 
never  was  the  Church  of  Christ;  and 
consequently  she  could  not  lose  that 
which  she  never  was  in  possession  of. 

Q.  If  the  Roman  Catholics  are  not 
the  Church  of  Christ,  where  has  the 
Church  of  Christ  existed  since  in- 
spired men  ceased  from  the  earth : 

A.  She  has  existed  in  heaven  where 
the  gates  of  hell  never  can  prevail 
against  her,  because  she  is  built  upon 
the  rock ;  and  the  inspired  Apostles 
are  in  heaven  with  her  whom  the  Sa- 
viour promised  to  be  with  always, 
even  unto  the  end  of  the  world. 

Q.  What  has  become  of  the  Apos- 
tles' successors  ? 

A.  The  Apostles  had  no  successors 
after  those  died  off  who  were  called 
by  inspiration  and  new  revelation. 

Q.  After  the  Church  of  Christ 
fled  from  earth  to  heaven,  what  was 
left  ? 

A.  A  set  of  wicked  Apostates,  mur- 
derers, and  idolaters,  who,  after  having 
made  war  with  the  saints,  and  over- 
come them,  and  destroyed  them  out 
of-  the  earth,  were  left  to  follow  the 
wicked  imaginations  of  their  own  cor- 
rupt hearts,  and  to  build  up  churches 
by  human  authority,  and  to  follow 
after  the  cunning  craftiness  of  un- 
inspired men  ;  having  no  Apostle, 
Prophet,  or  Revelator  to  inquire  ofj 
God  for  them  :  and  thus,  because  of 
wickedness,  the  Church,  and  Priest- 
hood, and  gifts,  and  ordinances  and 
blessings  of  the  everlasting  Gospel, 
were  taken  from  the  earth,  and  re- 
served in  heaven  until  the  fulness  of 
times,  when  it  was  predicted  that  they 
should  again  be  restored  among  men 
to  continue  until  the  end  should  come. 


Q,  Who  founded  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church  ? 

A.  The  Devil,  through  the  medi- 
um of  Apostates,  who  subverted  the 
whole  order  of  God  by  denying  im- 
mediate revelation,  and  substituting 
in  the  place  thereof,  tradition  and  an- 
cient revelations  as  a  sufficient  rule  of 
faith  and  practice. 

Q.  Did  the  great  Protestant  Re- 
formers restore  the  Church  of  Christ 
to  the  earth  ? 

A.  No:  for  they  had  no  inspired 
Apostles,  Prophets,  or  Revelators 
among  them,  without  which  the 
Church  could  not  be  restored. 

Q.  But  did  not  any  of  the  Protes- 
tant Reformers  have  authority  to  Bap- 
tize and  Confirm  ? 

A.  Not  any  of  them  :  for  they  pre- 
tended that  ancient  revelation  was  a 
sufficient  rule  of  faith;  and,  therefore, 
that  no  new  revelation  was  needed  : 
and  without  new  revelation  no  man 
could  be  called  and  authorized  to  ad- 
minister Gospel  ordinances. 

Q.  But  did  not  the  first  Protestant 
Reformers  receive  their  ordination  and 
authority  from  the  Catholics  ? 

A.  Yes :  and  in  this  manner  they 
received  all  the  authority  that  their 
mother  church  was  in  possession  of; 
and  the  mother  having  derived  her 
authority  from  the  Devil,  could  only 
impart  that  which  his  Satanic  majesty 
was  pleased  to  bestow  upon  her.  If 
thorns  could  bear  figs — if  a  bitter 
fountain  could  send  forth  sweet  wa- 
ter— or  a  corrupt  tree  bring  forth 
good  fruit,  then  the  whore  of  Babvlon 
could  confer  divine  authority  upon 
her  harlot  daughters.  But  whatever 
authority  the  mother  might  have  pre- 
tended to  confer  upon  the  daughters, 
she  afterwards  was  very  careful  to 
take  from  them  by  excommunication. 
Therefore,  unless  the  Reformers  re- 
ceived fresh  authority  from  heaven 
by  new  revelation,  they  had  no  au- 
thority at  all. 

Q.  Are  all  the  Baptisms  adminis- 
tered by  the  Catholics  and  Protest- 
ants, and  the  different  sects  which 
have,  from  time  to  time,  dissented 
from  them,  illegal,  because  the  minis- 
ters were  not  authorized  ? 


20G 


QUESTIONS   AND   ANSWERS   ON   DOCTRINE. 


Jl.  They  are,  every  one  of  them, 
illegal,  and  null,  and  void,  and  with- 
out effect;  and  will  not  be  considered 
baptism  in  the  day  of  judgment  any 
more  than  the  acts  of  unauthorized 
men  in  human  governments  are  con- 
sidered legal. 

Q.  Was  not  the  Protestant  Refor- 
mation a  great  benefit  to  the  world  ? 

Jl.  Yes  :  it  served  to  weaken  the 
power  of  the  mother  church,  and  pro- 
duced a  great  division  in  Satan's  king- 
dom — the  mother  being  opposed  to 
her  harlot  daughters,  and  the  daugh- 
ters against  their  most  abominable 
mother :  and  in  this  family  war,  the 
harlot  daughters  beeame  also  sorely 
displeased  with  each  other.  And  in 
the  midst  of  the  contending  elements, 
wise  men  became  convinced  that  the 
civil  government  could  not  safely  be 
entrusted  with  any  of  the  contending 
parties:  hence  arose  governments  sup- 
porting religious  freedom  :  whereas, 
if  it  had  not  been  for  the  divisions  in 
Satan's  kingdom,  freedom  of  con- 
science would  have  been  wholly  un- 
known in  the  nineteenth  century. 
The  iron  yoke  of  Romanism  would 
have  sorely  galled  the  necks  of  all 
nations  upon  whom  she  had  power 
to  place  it.  It  was  to  weaken  this 
corrupt,  soul-destroying  power;  and 
to  stir  up  contention,  division,  and 
war  in  all  her  borders,  preparatory  to 
the  establishment  of  religious  liberty, 
that  God  moved  upon  the  hearts  of 
the  great  Protestant  Reformers  of  the 
sixteenth  century. 

Q.  Is  not  sincerity  a  sufficient  qual- 
ification to  entitle  a  man  to  salvation? 

Jl.  No  :    sincerity  is    necessary  to  j 
salvation,  but  is  not  sufficient  for  sal-  ■ 
vation.     Paul,  in  his  sincerity,  verily 
thought  he  ought  to  do  many  things 
contrary  to  Jesus  of  Nazareth.   Jesus 
said  to  his  apostles,  "The  time  cometh 
that  whosoever  killeth  you  will  think 
that  he  doeth  God  service."  (John  16:  j 
2.)    No  one,  who  believes  the  Bible,  j 
will  have  the  presumption  to  say,  that 
those  who  killed  the  apostles  could 
be  saved,  and  yet  Jesus  says,  that  those  [ 
murderers  were  to  be  so  sincere,  that  j 
they   would    really    think    that  they 
were  doing  God  service.    Idolaters  are  t 


frequently  sincere,  so  much  so,  that 
they  are  willing  to  sacrifice  their  own 
lives  to  their  idols.  But  the  scripture 
says,  that  no  idolater  can  inherit  the 
kingdom  of  God.  Millions  of  sincere 
persons  will  be  shut  out  of  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  ;  and  yet  no  person 
will  be  permitted  to  enter  that  king- 
dom unless  he  is  sincere.  The  sin- 
cerity of  some  of  the  Catholics  and 
Protestants  in  their  religion,  will  in  no 
wise  qualify  them  for  salvation.  He 
that  would  be  saved  must  not  only  be 
sincere,  but  embrace  the  true  gospel, 
be  baptized  into  the  true  Church,  and 
continue  a  faithful  member  of  the  same 
unto  the  end.  This  is  the  only  way 
to  be  saved  with  a  full  salvation.  As 
neither  Catholics  nor  Protestants  are 
members  of  the  true  Church,  they 
cannot  claim  celestial  glory.  How- 
ever sincere,  they  are  unprepared  to 
dwell  with  God  and  receive  the  fulness 
of  his  glory. 

Q.  How  long  since  the  Church  of 
Christ  has  been  absent  from  the 
earth? 

Jl.  We  have  no  history  or  know- 
ledge of  the  Christian  Church  on  the 
Eastern  hemisphere  after  the  second 
century.  The  Christian  Church  on 
the  Western  hemisphere  ceased  near 
the  beginning  of  the  fifth  century. 
The  Christian  Church,  therefore,  was 
absent  from  the  earth  for  above  four- 
teen centuries. 

Q.  What  has  become  of  all  the 
nations  and  generations  during  these 
fourteen  centuries  ? 

Jl.  They  have  lived  without  pro- 
phets, without  inspired  apostles,  with- 
out revelators,  without  the  voice  of 
God,  without  the  ministry  of  angels, 
without  heavenly  visions,  without  au- 
thorized ministers  to  baptize  or  min- 
ister any  other  ordinance  of  the  gospel, 
without  the  miraculous  gifts  of  the 
Spirit,  without  the  true  Church,  and 
consequently  have  died  without  sal- 
vation. And  thus  about  fourteen  thou- 
sand millions  of  the  human  race  have 
gone  down  to  their  graves  in  ignorance 
and  darkness,  since  the  Church  was 
taken  from  the  earth. 

Q.  Will  all  these  generations  be 
damned  without  remedy  ? 


QUESTIONS   AND   ANSWERS    ON    DOCTRINE. 


207 


A.  All  these  have  died  without!  God  had  sent  forth  servants  to  restore 
hearing  a  message  sent  to  them  by  |  the  true  Church  to  the  earth,  before  He 
divine  authority  ;  they  have  died  with  had  prepared  the  way  by  the  estab- 
out  rejecting  a  message,  and  therefore  lishment  of  governments  favorable  to 
will  not  be  under  the  same  condem-j  religious  liberty,  they  would  have 
nation  as  those  who  lived  when  mes-  been  killed  off  as  the  former  dav  mes- 
sages have  been  sent,  and  who  rejected  I  sengers  were,  and  the  church  would 
the  same.  All  these  will  be  punished  again  have  been  driven  from  the  earth ; 
according  to  their  works,  and  will  be  and  swch  wickedness  would  have  left 
shut  up  in  prison  like  those  who  per-i  them  in  a  far  worse  condition  th;in 
ished  in  the  flood,  and  will  eventually  what  they  would  have  been  in  if  no 
have  the  gospel  preached  to  them, !  message  had  been  sent.  If  a  message 
even  as  Jesus  preached  the  gospel  to  had  been  sent,  and  they  had  rejected 
the   antediluvian  spirits ;    those   who  it,   it   would   have   deprived   them  of 


receive  the  gospel  in  prison  will  be 
redeemed  therefrom ;   and  those  who 


hearing    the    gospel    in    prison    with 
those  who   died   in   ignorance.     The 


reject  it,  will  be  sent  down  to  hell  j  condition  of  things  in  the  spiritual 
with  those  who  reject  the  same  while  \  world  will  be  more  favorable  to  their 
here  in  the  flesh.  This  eventually '  hearing  and  receiving  the  gospel  than 
gives  the  same  privilege  to  both  the1  it  would  have  been  under  the  tyranni- 
dead  and  the  living  that  they  may  all  i  cal  and  corrupt  powers  of  an  Apostate 
be  judged  by  the  same  law.  Hence '  Chinch.  God,  therefore,  has  dealt  with 
the  apostle  Peter,  after  having  informed  ;  these  Apostate  generations  in  that  way 
us  that  Christ  "went  and  preached  unto  j  that  will,  in  the  end,  save  far  more 
the  spirits  in  prison  which  sometime  j  of  them  than  could  have  been  saved 
were  disobedient,  when  once  the  long:  by  giving  them  a  message  in  this  life 
suffering  of  God  waited  in  the  days  of  i  to  trample  under  their  feet.  Other 
Noah,"  also  informs  us  of  the  reason  ;  [  generations  are  in  more  favorable  cir- 
uFor,  for  this  cause  was  the  gospel  j  cumstances  to  have  the  gospel  in 
preached  also  to  them  that  are  dead,  |  this  life,  and  in  such  cases,  greater 
that  they  might  be  judged  according!  numbers  can  be  saved  than  there  could 
to  men  in  the  flesh."  (1  Peter  3  :  19,  S  be  by  postponing  the  offer  of  salva- 


20 ;  also  4  :  6.)  The  purpose  to  be 
accomplished  in  preaching  to  those 
who  are  dead  and  in  prison,  is  to  place 
their  spirits  in  a  condition  to  L'be 
judged  according  to  men  in  the  flesh," 
who    hear    the    gospel    in    this   life. 


tion  until  they  enter  the  spirit  world. 
Hence  God  takes  into  account  the  fa- 
vorable or  unfavorable  circumstances 
in  which  generations  are  placed,  and 
sends  them  the  gospel  in  this  life  or 
in  the  world  of  spirits,  just  according 


Thus  both  the  living  and  the  dead  as  He  sees  that  it  will  have  a  tendency 
will  be  judged  by  the  law  of  the  to  save  the  most:  this,  therefore,  is 
gospel.  Those  who  receive  it  will  the  reason  why  He  has  sent  no  divine 
be  saved  ;  those  who  reject  it  will  be  :  message  to  the  inhabitants  of  our 
damned.  gl°be,    during    the    long   and    dreary 

Q.  Why  did  not  God  send  some   night  of  fourteen  centuries, 
one  inspired   with  authority  to  build  j       Q.  But  inasmuch  as  it  is  the  object 
up  his  Church,  during   this  long  pe-  of  God  to  save  men,   why   not  send 
riod  of  fourteen  centuries  ?  j  the   gospel   to  each  generation  here 

A.  Because  the  nations  had  become  and  in  the  next  world  also  ? 
so  extremely  corrupt  through  the  tra-  A.  Because  if  they  reject  the  gos- 
ditions  handed  down  from  their  Apos- '  pel  here,  they  have  not  the  privilege 
tate  fathers,  that  they  would  not  have  of  entering  into  the  prison  in  the 
suffered  the  true  Church  to  be  built ,  spirit  world,  and  of  again  hearing  the 
up  among  them.  Liberty  of  con-  gospel  among  those  who  never  heard 
science  was  not  tolerated  sufficiently  it  while  in  the  flesh:  God's  justice' 
to  permit  a  message  by  divine  author-  requires  those  who  reject  the  gospel 
ity  to  be  published  in  their  midst.     If  to  be  damned,  instead  of  being  favored 


208 


QUESTIONS   AND    ANSWERS    ON    DOCTRINE. 


with  a  prison  among  those  who  are 
less  guilty.  Those  in  prison  are  in 
an  intermediate  state :  they  are  not 
saved,  neither  are  they  irrecoverably 
lost :  but  when  the  gospel  is  preached 
to  them  it  will  decide  their  fate,  re- 
deeming those  who  receive  it,  and 
damning  those  who  reject  it ;  the 
one  rising  to  light,  glory,  and  happi- 
ness— and  the  other  falling  to  dark- 
ness, damnation,  and  misery.  And 
thus  will  the  living  and  the  dead  be 
judged  by  the  same  gospel;  and  the 
mercy  and  justice  of  God  be  mani- 
fested to  all  without  partiality.  It 
will  be  perceived  that  the  message  of 
the  gospel  either  saves  or  damns,  in- 
stead of  sending  their  spirits  to  an  in- 
termediate state. 

Q.  Is  this  intermediate  state,  which 
is  called  in  the  scriptures  a  prison,  a 
place  of  punishment  ? 

A.  Yes  :  but  the  severity  of  the 
punishment  is  not  as  great  as  is  ex- 
perienced among  those  who  are  sent 
to  hell.  Their  punishment  will  be  in 
proportion  to  their  sins  and  the  light 
which  they  have  rejected.  Indeed, 
the  long  ages  of  darkness,  ignorance, 
doubt,  and  uncertainty  which  will 
slowly  roll  away,  will  of  itself  make 
them  wretched  and  miserable.  How 
tedious  and  wearisome  must  have  been 
the  condition  of  the  antediluvian  spir- 
its to  remain  the  long  period  of  two 
thousand  years  and  upwards  without 
any  ray  of  hope,  until  Jesus  opened 
their  prison  doors,  by  preaching  the 


gospel  to  them  while  his  body  was 
sleeping  in  the  tomb. 

Q.  Will  God's  kingdom  or  Church 
be  again  restored  to  the  earth  ? 

A.  It  has  already  been  restored. 

Q.  When  did  this  restoration  take 
place  ? 

A.  On  the  sixth  day  of  April,  in 
the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  thirty. 

Q.  In  what  part  of  the  earth  was 
this  kingdom  first  organized  ? 

A-  In  the  town  of  Fayette,  Seneca 
county,  and  State  of  New  York. 

Q.  How  many  persons  were  inclu- 
ded in  the  first  organization  ? 

A.  Only  six. 

Q.  In  what  manner  did  the  Lord 
proceed  to  restore  his  Church  to  the 
earth  ? 

A.  He  first  sent  an  holy  angel  to  a 
young  man,  named  Joseph  Smith,  and 
directed  him  where  to  obtain  the  sa- 
cred history  of  the  ancient  nations 
of  America,  and  also  the  Urim  and 
Thummim,  and  commanded  him  to 
translate  these  records  into  the  Eng- 
lish language. 

Q.  What  was  the  use  of  this  sacred 
history? 

A.  It  contained  the  fulness  of  the 
gospel,  as  Jesus  Christ  himself 
preached  it  to  the  Aborigines  of 
America,  soon  after  his  resurrection. 
Every  principle  and  ordinance  of  the 
gospel,  in  this  sacred  book,  is  so  ex- 
ceedingly plain,  that  it  leaves  no  un- 
certainty upon  the  mind,  as  it  regards 
the  way  of  salvation. 


CONTENTS: 

The  Treatment  of  the  United  States  towards  the  Saints, 193 

Faith, 198 

Questions  and  Answers  on  Doctrine, 204 


WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.  C. 

EDITED    AND    PUBLISHED    BY    ORSON    PRATT, 
Jit  §1  per  annum,  invariably  in  advance. 


LFrJ 


0F3  ijRi 


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5=  *£  b  is  to 


3 


All  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth.  See  Ye,  when  He 
lifteth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  .Mountains. — Isaiah  xvin,  3. 


Vol.  I  J. 


FEBRUARY,    1854 


No.  2. 


FAITH  IS  THE  GIFT  OF  GOD. 


BY    THE     EDITOR. 


Faith  is  the  gift  of  God.  In  what 
manner  does  God  give  faith  ?  Docs 
he  impart  this  gift  to  the  mind  by  the 
immediate  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
independent  of  any  other  means  ? 
Does  he  bestow  it  unsought  for  and 
irrespective  of  the  preparation  of  the 
mind  ?  Does  he  confer  it  indepen- 
dent of  the  agency  of  man  ?  To  sav 
that  man  obtains  this  gift  without  pre- 
paring himself,  or  without  the  exer- 
cise of  any  agency,  is  to  deprive  him 
of  all  responsibility  in  regard  to 
whether  he  has  faith  or  not.  This 
condition  would  free  him  from  all 
blame  or  condemnation  for  unbelief. 
If  agency  is  in  no  way  concerned  in 
obtaining  faith,  it  would  be  the  highest 
act  of  injustice  to  punish  the  unbe- 
liever :  there  would  be  no  more  re- 
sponsibility about  him  than  there  is 
about  the  dumb  brute.  What  would 
be  thought  of  the  justice  of  a  man 
who  would  punish  his  horse  because 
he  was  not  harnessed  ?  If  the  animal 
were  endowed  with  the  power  of 
speech,  would  he  not  say,  that  he  was 
an  irresponsible  being,  that  he  had  no 
power  or  agency  to  harness  himself, 
that  the  gift  of  harnessing  belonged  to 
a  higher  and  superior  being  to  him- 
self, and  that  he  considered  it  very 
cruel,  and  unjust,  and  tyrannical  for 
that  higher  being  to  punish  him  for 
not  exercising  a  faculty  with  which  he 
was  not  endowed,  which  was  far  be- 
yond his  capacities,  and   which  was 


a  condition  that  man  alone  was  capa- 
ble of  bestowing  ?  If  faith  is  the  gift 
of  God,  and  man  has  no  ;igency  in 
obtaining  this  gift,  then  he  stands  in 
the  same  relation  to  God  in  regard  to 
having  faith,  as  the  horse  does  to  the 
man  in  regard  to  being  harnessed  :  and 
if  it  would  be  unjust  and  cruel  in  man 
to  punish  his  horse  for  not  being  har- 
nessed, it  would  be  equally  unjust  and 
cruel  for  God  to  punish  man  for  not 
having  faith,  if  he  be  considered  a  be- 
ing incapable  of  the  exercise  of  such 
a  faculty. 

That  faith  is  the  gift  of  God  there 
is  no  dispute ;  but  that  God  bestows 
this  gift  unsought  for,  and  without  any 
preparation  or  agency  on  the  part  of 
man,  is  not  only  unscriptural  and  un- 
reasonable, but  extremely  absurd, 
when  we  consider  that  man  is  to  be 
punished  for  his  unbelief.  But  some 
may  inquire,  has  not  God  the  power 
and  right  to  do  with  man  as  He 
pleases  ?  Has  not  He  power  to  with- 
hold faith,  and  punish  whomsoever  He 
will,  whether  they  deserve  it  or  not? 
We  reply,  that  whatever  power  God 
has,  it  is  certain  that  He  will  not  ex- 
ercise it  contrary  to  the  principles  of 
Justice  and  Mercy,  or  contrary  to  the 
revealed  character,  which  He  has  given 
of  Himself.  If  it  were  possible  for  Him 
to  change,  or  deviate  from  His  word, 
then  He  would  cease  to  be  God.  If 
He  would  punish  the  innocent  and  ac- 
quit the  guilty,  He  would  be  a  Being 


210 


FAITH    IS    THE    GIFT    OF    GOD. 


altogether  unlovely  and  undesirable — 
a  Being  to  be  feared,  but  not  to  be 
loved.  Therefore,  we  may  rest  as- 
sured that  he  will  never  punish  a  man 
for  his  unbelief,  unless  man  has  the 
power  to  obtain  faith  through  the  ex- 
ercise of  his  own  free  will. 

But  if  faith  cannot  be  obtained,  un- 
less sought  for  properly,  how  can  the 
savings  of  Paul  to  the  Ephesians  be 
reconciled  with  this  idea  ?  "  For  by 
grace  are  ye  saved  through  faith  ;  and 
that  not  of  yourselves :  it  is  the  gift 
of  God  :  not  of  works,  lest  any  man 
should  boast.  For  we  are  his  work- 
manship, created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto 
good  works,  which  God  hath  before 
ordained  that  we  should  walk  in 
them."  (Eph.  2:  8—10.)  We  are 
to  understand  from  these  passages, 
that  the  grace  and  faith  by  which  man 
is  saved,  are  the  gifts  of  God,  having 
been  purchased  for  him  not  by  his  own 
works,  but  by  the  blood  of  Christ. 
Had  not  these  gifts  been  purchased  for 
man,  all  exertions  on  his  part  would 
have  been  entirely  unavailing  and  fruit- 
less. Whatever  course  man  might 
have  pursued,  he  could  not  have 
atoned  for  one  sin  ;  it  required  the  sac- 
rifice of  a  sinless  and  pure  Being  in 
order  to  purchase  the  gifts  of  faith, 
repentance,  and  salvation  for  fallen 
man.  Grace,  Faith,  Repentance,  and 
Salvation,  when  considered  in  their 
origin,  are  not  of  man,  neither  by  his 
works  :  man  did  not  devise,  originate, 
nor  adopt  them;  superior  Beings  in  the 
Celestial  abodes,  provided  ihese  gifts, 
and  revealed  the  conditions  to  man  by 
which  he  might  become  a  partaker  of 
them.  Therefore  all  boasting  on  the 
part  of  man  is  excluded.  He  is  saved 
by  a  plan  which  his  works  did  not 
originate — a  plan  of  heaven,  and  not 
of  earth. 

Well  might  the  Apostle  declare  to 
the  Ephesians,  that  these  gifts  were 
•not  of  themselves,  neither  of  their 
works,  when  the  God  and  Father  of 
our  spirits,  from  whom  cometh  every 
good  and  perfect  gift,  was  the  great 
Author  of  them.  But  are  these  great 
gifts  bestowed  on  fallen  man  without 
his  works  ?  No  :  man  has  these  gifts 
purchased  for  and  offered  to  him  ;  but 


before  he  can  receive  and  enjoy  them, 
he  must  exercise  his  agency  and  ac- 
cept of  them :  and  herein  is  the  con- 
demnation of  man,  because  when  he 
was  in  a  helpless  fallen  condition,  and 
could  not  by  his  own  works  and  de- 
vices atone  for  the  least  of  his  sins, 
the  only  Begotten  of  the  Father  gave 
his  own  life  to  purchase  the  gifts  of 
faith  and  salvation  for  him,  and  yet  he 
will  not  so  much  as  accept  of  them. 
Faith  therefore  is  the  gift  of  God, 
but  man  cannot  have  this  choice  heav- 
enly treasure  only  in  God's  own  ap- 
pointed way.     Among  the  means  that 
God  has  ordained  through  which  man 
may  receive  this  gieat  and  precious 
gift,  may  be  mentioned,  the  preaching 
of  the  word  by   men  called   and  in- 
spired by  the  gift  and  power  of  the 
Iloly   Ghost:  for    saith    the   apostle, 
"  How  shall  they  call  on  him  in  whom 
they   have    not  believed  ?     And  how 
shall   they  believe   in  him  of  whom 
they  have  not  heard  ?  And  how  shall 
they  hear  without  a  preacher  ?     And 
how  shall  they  preach,  except  they  be 
sent  ?"     "  So   then,  faith  cometh  by 
hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  word  of 
God."      (Rom.    10:    14,     15,    17.) 
Though  faith  be  the  gift  of  God,  yet 
it  comes  by  hearing  the  word.  Through 
this  medium  man  makes  himself  ac- 
quainted with  the  evidence  in  favor  of 
the  divinity  of  the  word;  the  evidence 
being  of  divine  origin  as  well  as  the 
word.     This  evidence  begets  faith  in 
the  mind ;  and  this  faith,  though  it  be 
obtained  through  the  exercise  of  the 
free     will     and  agency    of   the  crea- 
ture, is  still  the  gift  of  God,  granted 
through  the    evidence  accompanying 
the  preached  word.     In  the  apostles1 
days,   when   the  art  of  printing  was 
unknown,  and   the  great  majority  of 
mankind  could  not  read  the  word,  the 
principal  means  of  obtaining  faith  was 
by  the  process  of  preaching  and  hear- 
ing, but  in  these  days,  in  many  instan- 
ces, faith  comes,  by  reading  as  well  as 
by  preaching:  for  a  man  called  and  in- 
spired  of  God   can   both    preach  and 
write  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost; 
and    when    the   honest   humble  soul 
either    hears   or   reads  that  which   is 
given  by  the  Spirit,  the  light  that  is  in 


FAITH    IS    THE    GIFT    OF    GOD. 


211 


him  witnesseth  that  it  is  of  God  ;  for 
light  cleaves   to   light,  and    truth    to 

truth;  the  Spirit  gives  light  to  every 
man  that  comes  into  the  world,  and  if 
he  loves  the  light  that  is  in  himself, 
lie  will  love  all  other  light  that  is  pre- 
sented to  his  mind,  and  embrace  it. 
Light  cannot  be  presented  to  the  mind 
of  a  candid,  honest  person,  without 
being  perceived  to  be  light;  but  if  he 
receive  it  not,  he  extinguishes  in  a 
degree  the  light  that  is  in  him,  and 
darkness  still  greater  ensues,  and  he 
is  left  to  commit  evils  of  a  greater 
magnitude,  until  the  light  that  was  in 
him  has  entirely  fled,  and  darkness 
reigns  triumphantly :  this  darkness 
brings  misery  and  wretchedness  in  this 
world  and  eternal  torment  in  the  world 
to  come.  This  is  the  state  of  man 
who  rejects  light  and  truth,  and  will 
not  exercise  faith  in  that  which  the 
light  that  is  in  him  teaches  him  is 
true. 

The  word  and  the  evidence  ac- 
companying it  are  both  the  gifts  of 
God;  but  besides  these,  the  light 
that  is  in  every  man  who  comes  into 
the  world  is  also  the  gift  of  God 
through  Christ.  For  if  Christ  had 
not  purchased  this  gift  for  man  by  his 
atoning  blood,  man  would  have  been 
destitute  of  all  light.  Darkness  alone 
would  have  reigned,  and  our  world 
would  have  been  a  hell — the  miser- 
able abode  of  fallen  spirits  and  fallen 
man  :  no  ray  of  light  could  have  pen- 
etrated the  darkened  understanding: 
the  extreme  of  misery  would  have 
been  the  result.  But  saith  our  Sa- 
viour, "I  am  the  light  and  the  life  of 
the  world  ;"  all  light  that  is  in  the 
world  came  by  him  through  his  atone- 
ment; it  is  the  gilt  of  God  to  fallen 
man.  If  the  light  that  is  in  man  be 
the  gift  of  God,  surely  all  additional 
light  offered  to  him,  must  be  the 
gift  of  God  also.  By  faith  man  should 
lay  hold  of  this  light,  wherever  he  may 
discover  it. 

The  only  way  to  receive  additional 
faith  and  light  is  to  practice  according 
to  the  light  which  we  have  :  and  if 
we  do  this,  we  have  the  promise  of 
God  that  the  same  shall  grow  bright- 
er and  brighter  until  the  perfect  day. 


Every  word  of  God  is  light  and  truth 
He  that  saith,  that  he  is  in  the  light, 
but  obeyeth  not  the  words  of  truth, 
is  deceiving  himself,  and  is  in  dark- 
ness;  for  "none  are  the  children  of 
faith  except  such  as  walk  in  the  light, 
and  obey  its  laws.  How  many  mill- 
ions in  Christendom  profess  to  be 
christians  and  say  that  they  are  in  the 
light  and  have  been  born  of  God,  and 
yet  they  have  never  obeyed  even  the 
first  principles  of  the  light;  they  have 
never  repented  properly,  and  been 
immersed  in  water  for  the  remission 
of  sins  by  the  ministration  of  one 
whom  God  has  authorized  ;  and  yet 
they  pretend  that  God  for  Christ's 
sake  has  forgiven  their  sins.  How 
blindly  deceived!  and  how  vain  their 
faith  and  hope  of  salvation  !  God 
has  not  forgiven  their  sins ;  neither 
will  he  forgive  them,  until  they  obey 
the  message  of  the  gospel,  according 
to  the  precise  order  which  he  has  re- 
vealed. Faith  is  the  gift  of  God  and 
is  one  of  the  means  of  salva'ion  ;  but 
none  can  have  this  gift  except  in  the 
way  that  God  has  ordained  :  and  all 
who  pretend  to  have  faith,  and  obey 
not  that  form  of  doctrine  which  God 
has  revealed,  will  find  that  their  faith 
is  of  no  effect,  and  that  they  will  be 
damned  with  unbelievers :  for  God 
will  not  confer  saving  gifts  upon  the 
disobedient. 

Every  thing  that  is  good  comes 
from  God  and  is  the  gift  of  God. 
God  has  given  revelation  upon  reve- 
lation unto  man  for  his  benefit;  and 
the  generations  to  whom  he  has  giv- 
en his  word  will  be  judged  by  that 
word  at  the  last  day.  God  raised  up 
a  prophet  in  our  day,  and  gave  him 
the  (J rim  and  Thummim,  and  revealed 
a  flood  of  light  and  truth  through 
him  to  this  generation.  This  gener- 
ation will  be  judged  out  of  the  books 
and  revelations  which  God  gave 
through  this  prophet.  If  they  exer- 
cise faith  in  these  revelations,  and 
obey  the  same,  they  will  be  justified 
and  saved;  but  if  they  disbelieve 
them,  and  harden  their  hearts  against 
them,  they  will  surely  be  damned; 
for  the  Almighty  reveals  not  his  word 
in  vain.     What  doth  it  benefit  this 


212 


QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS  ON  DOCTRINE. 


generation  to  offer  them  a  heavenly 
gift,  and  reveal  to  them  more  light 
and  truth  if  they  receive  it  not?  The 
gift  benefits  those  only  who  receive 
it.  The  rest  will  receive  a  greater 
condemnation.  When  the  honest 
read  that  heavenly  treasure — the  Book 
of  Mormon,  they  are  filled  with  joy 
unspeakable,  because  God  has  again 
spoken  to  man  as  in  ancient  times  ; 
their  souls  feast  upon  the  contents  of 
that  holy  and  divine  book ;  and  so 
great  is  their  joy,  that  they  cannot 
rind  language  adequate  to  express  the 
overflowings  of  their  hearts.  But 
how  different  are  the  feelings  of  those 
who  reject  it :  light  and  truth  flee 
from  them,  and  they  feel  angry  to 
think  that  God  should  again  speak  to 
man.  But  God  will  show  them  by 
his  Almighty  power  that  his  word 
cannot  be  rejected  with  impunity. — ■ 
The  judgments  that  have  befallen  an- 
cient generations  and  nations  Avho 
have  rejected  his  word,  ought  to  be  a 
solemn  warning  to  those  now  on  the 
earth.  But  alas  !  the  pride,  high- 
mindedness,  and  great  wickedness  of 


man  cause  him  to  hate  the  light  be- 
cause his  deeds  are  evil.  And  thus 
this  generation  will,  for  the  most  part, 
perish  in  unbelief  and  disobedience 
to  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  im- 
portant messages  that  God  ever  sent 
for  the  salvation  of  the  people.  Oh, 
poor  fallen  man!  how  eager  for  hap- 
piness, and  yet  how  unwilling  to  re- 
ceive it  upon  righteous  principles  ! 
Oh,  that  thou  didst  but  know  the  day 
of  thy  visitation,  and  wouldst  incline 
thine  ear,  and  hearken  to  the  voice  of 
God  and  harden  not  thy  heart,  for 
then  it  would  be  well  with  thee!  But 
thou  knowest  not,  neither  dost  thou 
consider  the  fearful  judgments  that 
await  thee,  if  thou  turnest  a  deaf  ear 
to  the  last  great  message  of  mercy, 
now  revealed  from  the  heavens  for 
thy  good  !  Oh,  turn  unto  the  Lord, 
and  exercise  faith  in  him,  that  your 
light  and  joy  may  be  increased — your 
faith  and  love  become  perfected,  that 
all  of  the  gifts  of  God  may  abound 
in  you,  that  you  may  finally  obtain 
eternal  life,  which  is  the  greatest  of 
all  the  gifts  of  God  to  man. 


QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

BY  THE  EDITOR. 


Question.  Does  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon agree  with  the  Bible  ? 

Answer.  Both  books  being  of  Di- 
vine origin,  they  will  of  course  agree; 
for  God  never  disagrees  with  himself; 
and  His  words  spoken  in  ancient 
America  are  just  as  true  as  His  words, 
spoken  in  ancient  Palestine. 

Q.  Does  the  Book  of  Mormon 
contain  any  additional  light  not  con- 
tained in  the  Bible  ? 

A.  The  whole  volume,  without 
exception  to  any  of  its  parts,  contains 
additional  light  and  truth.  Whether 
considered  in  its  historical,  propheti- 
cal, or  doctrinal  character,  it  is  one 
of  the  most  wonderful  and  important 
books  of  which  the  world  has  any 
knowledge.  Were  it  not  for  this 
choice  and  invaluable  work,  the  his- 


tory of  the  ancient  nations  who  once 
peopled  this  vast  continent,  would 
have  slumbered  in  perpetual  dark- 
ness :  all  efforts  to  have  penetrated 
the  mists  of  antiquity  would  have 
been  in  vain.  The  magnificent  ruins 
of  ancient  cities,  palaces,  and  temples, 
buried  in  primeval  forests,  would 
alone  have  proclaimed  in  silent  gran- 
deur, the  strength  and  greatness  of 
the  former  population.  The  Book 
of  Mormon,  then,  as  an  ancient  his- 
tory, and  the  only  history  which  we 
have  of  ancient  America,  is  of  priceless 
value — a  gem  most  precious.  A  book 
is  valuable  in  proportion  to  the  im- 
portance and  greatness  of  the  truths 
which  it  unfolds;  and  this  value  is 
infinitely  increased,  when  it  is  known 
that  it  is  the  only  source  of  informa- 


QUESTIONS    AND    ANSWERS    ON    DOCTRINE. 


213 


tion  upon  the  subject.  That  which 
greatly  enhances  the  value  of  this 
ancient  history  is  the  fact  of  its  being 
sacred.  There  are  many  histories 
of  the  ancient  nations  of  the  eastern 
continent,  but  they  are  full  of  contra- 
dictions and  absurdities,  and  cannot 
in  many  things  be  depended  on.  The 
historian,  in  his  researches  into  the 
remote  ages  of  antiquity,  is  frequently 
guided  by  speculation  and  conjecture. 
These  defects  render  some  hi-tories  of 
less  value  than  others  whose  veracity  is 
undoubted.  The  Book  of  Mormon 
being  a  sacred  history,  its  declara 
tions  can  be  depended  on  :  and  when 
we  read  the  doings  of  by-gone  ages, 
we  know  that  we  have  no  specula- 
tion or  conjecture  of  the  historian  to 
blind  and  bewilder  the  understanding. 
Every  event  is  accurately  described  : 
every  word  is  truth  ;  and  we  feast  our 
minds  with  certainty  and  knowledge. 

Q.  But  what  benefit  is  Sacred 
History  in  relation  to  the  salvation  of 
man  ? 

A.  By  sacred  history  we  learn 
the  dealings  of  God  with  nations, 
generat:ons,  and  individuals  :  we  per- 
ceive the  prosperity  that  attends  the 
righteous,  and  the  judgments  that  be- 
fall the  wicked.  All  these  things  are 
encouragements  and  warnings  to  us, 
and  calculated  to  lend  us  in  the  steps 
of  righteousness,  and  cause  us  to  shun 
the  paths  of  evil. 

Q.  Is  there  any  benefit  to  be  de- 
rived from  the  prophetical  and  doc- 
trinal portions  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon ? 

A.  Yes :  in  this  respect,  the  book 
is  infinitely  more  valuable  than  all 
other  books  in  the  world  written  by 
human  wisdom.  The  doctrines  and 
prophecies,  contained  in  it,  are  so 
very  definite,  pointed,  and  plain,  that 
no  ambiguity  or  uncertainty  is  left 
upon  the  mind  in  regard  to  the  way 
of  salvation,  and  the  events  that  are 
to  transpire  so  far  as  they  are  pre- 
dicted. 

Q.  But  is  not  the  Jewish  Record 
or  the  Bible  equally  as  plain  ? 

A  No :  it  no  doubt  was  once  just 
as  plain  and  definite  as  the  sacred 
Scriptures  given  in  Ancient  America. 


But  the  Bible  has  been  robbed  of  its 
plainness;  many  sacred  books  having 
been  lost,  others  rejected  by  the  Rom- 
ish Church,  and  what  few  we  have 
left,  were  copied  and  re-copied  so 
many  times,  that  it  is  admitted  that 
almost  every  verse  has  been  corrupted 
and  mutilated  to  that  degree  that 
scarcely  any  two  of  them  read  alike. 
The  original  manuscripts  of  the  books 
of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  are 
no  where  to  be  found ;  all  we  have 
left  are  mutilated  copies  containing  an 
incredible  number  of  contradictory 
readings.  From  these,  uninspired  men 
have  translated  by  their  own  human 
wisdom  our  present  version  of  the 
Bible,  which  is  so  indefinite  that  it 
leaves  room  for  different  opinions, 
clashing  one  against  the  other;  hence 
there  has  arisen  avast  number  of  sects 
contending  about  the  true  points  of 
Christ's  doctrine.  The  first  thing, 
therefore,  necessary  to  the  re-estab- 
lishment of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  on 
the  earth,  was  to  reveal  in  perfect 
plainness  the  exact  and  precise  princi- 
ples of  the  gospel  in  all  their  fullness  ; 
this  was  accomplished  in  the  remark- 
able discovery  and  translation  of  the 
sacred  records  of  Ancient  America. 

Q.  Did  the  revelation  and  trans- 
lation of  the  book  of  Mormon  au- 
thorize Joseph  Smith  to  officiate  in 
gospel  ordinances  ? 

A.  No  :  God  sent  an  holy  angel, 
whose  name  was  John  (the  Baptist) 
to  confer  upon  him  and  upon  another 
young  man  whose  name  was  Oliver 
Cowdery,  authority  to  baptize  for  the 
remission  of  sins. 

Q.  Did  this  authority  extend  to 
the  ordinance  of  Confirmation,  or  the 
laying  on  of  hands  for  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  ? 

A.  No:  John  could  not  baptize 
with  the  Holy  Ghost;  he  was  only 
authorized  to  baptize  with  water,  and 
he  could  not  confer  authority  upon 
others  which  he  himself  did  not  hold. 

Q.  How  diil  Joseph  Smith  obtain 
the  office  of  an  apostle? 

A.  Peter,  James,  and  John  were 
sent  to  him,  by  whom  he  was  ordained 
to  theapostleship,  and  thus  authorized 
to  lay  on  hands  upon  baptized  believ- 


214 


QUESTIONS    AND    ANSWERS    ON    DOCTRINE 


ers  for  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
to  minister  in  all  other  gospel  ordi- 
nances. 

Q.  Who  were  the  first  ones  that 
were  legally  baptized  after  the  resto- 
ration of  the  authority  ! 

A.  J  seph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cow- 
dery.  After  John  the  Baptist  had  laid 
his  hands  upon  these  young  men  and 
ordained  them,  he  commanded  them 
to  baptize  each  other,  which  they 
accordingly  did,  agreeably  to  the  pat- 
tern given  in  the  book  of  Mormon. 
And  after  having  received  the  office  of 
the  apostleship,  they  confirmed  each 
other  by  the  laying  on  of  hands  for 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  They 
were  also  commanded  to  ordain  each 
other  as  a  pattern  for  future  ordinations. 

Q  Was  not  the  ordination  which 
they  received  under  the  hands  of  John 
sufficient,  without  their  being  com- 
manded to  re-ordain  each  other  ? 

A.  It  was  necessary  for  them  to 
set  a  perfect  example  for  others  to  fol- 
low. Though  the  ordination  which 
the  angel  had  conferred  upon  them, 
gave  authority,  yet,  as  it  was  conferred 
previous  to  their  baptism  ;  it  was  ne- 
cessary for  them  to  be  re-ordained  af- 
ter their  baptism,  as  a  pattern  for  the 
ordination  of  all  future  officers  in  the 
Church,  lest  some,  in  after  times, 
should  venture  to  ordain  unbaptized 
persons,  which  the  Lord  did  not  intend, 
after  the  church  was  once  restored,  to 
sanction.  This  is  the  cause  whv  the 
angel  commanded  a  re-ordination  af- 
ter their  baptism.  In  the  restoration 
of  authority  the  angel  had  a  right  to 
confer  ordination  before  baptism, 
otherwise  their  baptism  of  each  other 
would  have  been  illegal  and  of  no 
more  effect  than  the  baptisms  of  the 
apostate  churches  of  Christendom. 
But  when  the  authority  was  once  re- 
stored, and  baptism  was  legally  ad- 
ministered, there  existed  no  more  ne- 
cessity for  ordination  prpvious  to  bap- 
tism. Ordination  henceforth,  could 
only  be  bestowed  upon  baptized  per- 
sons, and  it  was  the  will  of  the  Lord 
that  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cow- 
dery  should  be  the  two  highly  favored 
individuals  who  should  first  set  the 
example  in  all  these  holy  ordinances. 


Q.  Did  God  give  any  further  in- 
structions preparatory  to  the  re-organ- 
ization of  His  Church  on  the  earth  ? 

A.  Yes :  He  gave  many  revela- 
tions and  commandments  to  Joseph 
Smith,  setting  forth  the  true  order, 
rules,  and  regulations  to  be  observed. 
He  also  sent  an  holy  angel  from  heaven 
in  open  day,  in  the  presence  of  three 
other  individuals,  namely,  Oliver  Cow- 
dery,  David  Whitmer,  and  Martin  Har- 
ris, who  were  in  company  with  Joseph 
Smith,  praying  in  the  fields.  These 
four  men  saw  the  angel  descend  from 
heaven,  clothed  in  glory ;  they  saw 
the  plates  of  gold  containing  the  writ- 
ings of  the  ancient  prophets  of  Ame- 
rica in  his  hands;  they  saw  him  turn 
over  the  leaves,  and  beheld  the  en- 
gravings thereon  ;  they  heard  his  voice 
as  he  conversed  with  them  face  to 
face  :  they  also  heard  the  voice  of  the 
Lord,  at  the  same  time  speaking  out 
of  the  heavens,  declaring  to  them  that 
the  unsealed  portions  of  the  plates 
had  been  translated  correctly  by  Jo- 
seph Smith,  and  commanding  them  to 
bear  testimony  of  what  they  then  saw 
and  heard  to  all  nations,  kindreds, 
tongues,  and  people,  to  whom  the 
translation  should  be  sent.  In  ac- 
cordance with  these  sacred  injunctions, 
they  have  sent  forth  their  printed  tes- 
timony in  connection  with  the  trans- 
lation, called  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
These  were  some  of  the  great  prepar- 
atory events,  preceding  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Church  of  God  again  upon 
our  earth.  After  the  way  was  fully 
prepared,  the  kingdom  of  God  was 
set  up,  consisting  of  only  six  mem- 
bers. 

Q.  Did  Joseph  the  prophet  receive 
any  further  instructions  concerning 
the  kingdom  after  iis  restoration  ? 

A.  Yes :  God  continued  to  give 
line  upon  line,  precept  upon  precept, 
year  after  year,  to  govern,  and  set  in 
order,  and  regulate  all  things  pertain- 
ing to  the  church,  that  it  might  grow, 
and  flourish,  and  increase  in  heavenly 
gifts,  and  be  prepared  to  accomplish 
His  righteous  purposes. 

Q.  What  purposes  are  to  be  ac- 
complished through  the  medium  of 
this  church  ? 


QUESTIONS    AND    ANSWERS    ON    DOCTRINE. 


215 


ji.  First :  God  will  send  His  faith- 
ful servants  in  this  church  to  every 
nation  under  heaven  to  preach  the 
gospel  as  a  witness  and  a  sign  of  the 
second  coming  of  His  Son  from  the 
heavens,  to  destroy  the  wicked  and  to 
reign  with  His  saints  on  the  earth. 
Secondly:  God  will,  through  his  ser- 
vants, gather  out  the  righteous  from 
among  all  nations,  and  assemble  tliem 
in  one;  and  they  will  be  armed  with 
righteousness  and  with  the  power  of 
God  in  great  glory.  Thirdly :  God 
will  enlarge  the  borders  of  His  peo- 
ple, and  increase  their  dominion  until 
the  greatness  of  the  kingdom  under 
the  whole  heavens  shall  be  given  into 
their  hands.  Lastly :  God  will  de- 
stroy every  nation  under  heaven  that 
will  not  obey  the  fullness  of  His  gospel 
and  become  subject  to  the  laws  of  His 
kingdom. 

Q.  What  does  the  Loid  require  of 
the  people  of  the  United  States  ? 

A.  He  requires  them  to  repent  of  all 
their  sins  and  embrace  the  message  of 
salvation,  contained  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  and  be  baptized  into  this 
church,  and  prepare  themselves  for  the 
coming  of  the  Lord. 

Q.  What  will  be  the  consequence 
if  they  do  not  embrace  the  Book  of 
Mormon  as  a  divine  revelation  ? 

Jl.     They   will  be  destroyed  from 
the  land  and  sent  down  to  hell,  like  j 
all   other  generations    who    have  re- 
jected a  divine  message. 

Q.  In  what  way  will  the  Lord  de- 
stroy this  nation  if  they  reject  the] 
Book  of  Mormon  ? 

A.  By  a  succession  of  the  most, 
terrible  judgments.  Plague  will  fol- 
low plague  in  rapid  succession,  deso- 
lating populous  cities  and  destroying 
hundreds  of  thousands.  The  rains  of 
heaven  will  be  staid,  and  the  earth  will 
not  yield  forth  her  wonted  harvests, 
and  thousands  will  pine  away  with 
hunger  and  perish.  The  bonds  of  the 
Union  which  now  hold  together  the 
States  of  this  Republic,  will  he  severed, 
and  a  fearful,  desolating,  civil  war  will 
rage  between  the  South  and  the  North. 
The  people  then  will  no  longer  dwell 
upon  their  farms,  and  in  their  villages, 


and  cities  with  security,  but  they  will 
(lee  from  city  to  city,  and  from  State 
to  State  before  the  face  of  their  ene- 
mies, and  fear  and  terror  will  be  upon 
them  by  day  and  night.  The  laws  of 
the  land  will  then  be  powerless,  and 
the  people  will  no  longer  be  under 
their  wholesome  influence  ;  bands  of 
robbers  and  murderers  will  wander 
over  the  land  unrestrained,  and  thus 
will  the  whole  nation  mourn  and 
waste  away  and  perish,  unless  they 
will  hearken  unto  the  great  message 
which  God  has  in  mercy  sent  to  them. 
There  is  no  other  alternative;  they 
must  either  embrace  the  Book  of 
Mormon  as  a  divine  revelation,  or  be 
cut  off  by  judgments  from  the  land, 
for  it  is  the  sure  and  certain  de- 
cree of  heaven.  God  is  not  to  be 
mocked,  neither  can  a  message  be  re- 
jected from  Him  with  impunity.  Now 
is  the  day  of  mercy ;  now  peace 
dwells  within  your  borders  ;  now  the 
proclamation  is  repent  and  come  forth 
with  humble  hearts  and  contrite  spir- 
its and  be  baptized  for  the  remission 
of  sins,  that  you  may  receive  the  Holy 
Ghost.  If  this  proclamation  is  un- 
heeded, the  sword  of  justice,  which  is 
already  unsheathed,  will  fall  heavily 
upon  you.  Do  not  flatter  yourselves 
that  you  will  escape,  nor  suffer  your- 
selves, for  a  moment,  to  suppose  that 
all  is  well,  for  the  decrees  of  the  Eter- 
nal must  be  fulfilled,  and  this  land 
must  be  cleansed  from  wickedness. 

Q.  But  will  the  Lord  destroy  the 
righteous  with  the  wicked  in  the  day 
when  he  executes  fierce  judgment 
upon  the  nation  ? 

A.  No:  the  righteous  will  take 
warning  and  flee  to  the  mountains  and 
vales  of  Utah,  that  they  may  escape 
these  sore  calamities ;  but  even  they 
will  be  visited  with  great  tribulation, 
unless  they  give  the  most  earnest  and 
diligent  heed  to  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
and  to  the  other  commandments  and 
revelations  which  God  has  given  or 
shall  hereafter  give  to  them.  The  wise 
will  foresee  the  evil  and  hide  them- 
selves; but  the  wicked  will  be  caught 
in  their  own  snares,  and  iall  into  their 
own  pits. 


216 


SANDWICH    ISLANDS CHINA SAN    BERNARDINO. 


EDITORIAL 


Statistics  of  Utah  Territory, 
as  reported  by  the  Bishops,  Oct.  16th, 
1853,— 

Total  number  of  inhabitants,  18,206 
Persons  on  Missions,  139 

Births  during  the  year,  ending 

October  6th,  1853,  904 

Deaths     do     do     do  253 

We  presume  that  the  total  number 
of  inhabitants  reported,  does  not  in- 
clude the  emigration  to  that  territory, 
during  the  year  1853.  It  is  also  pre- 
sumable that  the  territory  was  only 
partially  reported. 


Sandwich  Islands. — The  gospel 
on  those  islands  is  spreading  rapidly: 
from  April  6th  to  July  25th  the  church 
was  increased  by  the  addition  of  about 
1,000  souls.  The  translation  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon  into  the  Hawaiian 
language  is  completed  and  ready  for 
the  press. 


China. — Our  Missionaries  to  the  ce- 
lestial empire  have  returned.  No  op- 
portunity for  the  introduction  of  the 
gospel  among  them  at  present.  Wars 
and  other  judgments  will,  no  doubt, 
eventually  prepare  the  way,  so  that 
the  kingdom  of  God  may  be  estab- 
lished in  their  midst,  and  the  honest 
humble  seekers  after  truth,  enter  there- 
in, and,  in  due  time,  be  gathered  to 
Zion  :  for  thus  sailh  the  Lord,  by  the 
mouth  of  Joseph  the  prophet,  "And 
it  shall  come  to  pass,  among  the 
wicked,  that  every  man  that  will  not 
take  his  sword  against  his  neighbor, 
must  needs  flee  unto  Zion  for  safety 
And  there  shall  be  gathered  unto  it 
out  of  every  nation  under  heaven  ; 
and  it  shall  be  the  only  people  that 
shall  not  be  at  war  one  with  another." 
(Doc.  &  Cov.  Sec.  15:  13.)  In  this 
general  emigration  of  the  saints  from 
all  nations,  China  must  contribute 
her  portion  :  songs  of  praise  and  glad- 
ness in  the  Chinese  language,  will 
yet  be  heard  among  the  congregations 


of  Zion.  The  word  of  the  Lord  shall 
be  fulfilled  in  its  time  and  in  its  sea- 
son. 


San  Bernardino,  California. — 
The  country  of  San  Bernardino  is  in- 
habited by  the  saims:  it  is  in  the 
southern  part  of  California,  and  ex- 
tends from  the  south-western  part  of 
Utah,  to  within  25  or  30  miles  of 
the  Pacific  ocean.  There  are  three 
saw  mills  and  one  flouring  mill  in  the 
settlement.  They  are  entitled  to  one 
State  Representative.  The  colony  is 
in  a  flourishing  condition  under  the 
presidency  of  Amasa  Lyman  and 
Charles  C.  Rich,  two  of  the  twelve. 


New  Work. —  "Joseph  Smith 
the  Prophet."  This  is  the  title  of  a 
very  interesting  work,  written  by  the 
direction,  and  under  the  immediate 
inspection  of  the  Prophet  himself. 
It  is  now,  for  the  first  time,  printed. 
It  contains  the  genealogy  and  a  brief 
sketch  of  his  ancestors  back  for  six 
or  seven  generations.  Several  re- 
markable dreams  and  visions  of  his 
father  are  related.  But  what  renders 
the  work  doubly  interesting  is  the 
early  history  of  the  Prophet,  including 
many  remarkable  occurrences  and  im- 
portant facts,  never  before  published. 
Copies  of  this  work  would  be  valu- 
able to  every  lover  of  truth,  and 
would  adorn  the  libraries  of  the  hon- 
est and  patriotic  descendents  of  our 
pilgrim  fathers,  who  will  be  pleased 
to  learn  that  one  of  the  greatest  and 
most  renowned  Prophets  that  ever 
graced  our  earth,  descended  from  lhat 
hardy  illustrious  race  who  first  peo- 
pled the  dense  forests  of  New  Eng- 
land, and  formed  the  nucleus  of  a 
great  and  independent  nation  of  free- 
men. We  have  on  hand  a  few  copies, 
procured  from  England,  printed  on 
superior  paper,  and  bound  in  the  most 
superior  style  of  morocco,  neatly 
gilted.  Price  $2;  common  paper,  calf 
$1  50;  Roan,  $1. 


MILLENNIAL    STAR APPOINTMENT. 


217 


"Millennial  Star." — This  is  the 
title  of  a  weekly  periodical  of  sixteen 
pages,  published  by  the  Latter-Day 
Saints  at  15  Wilton  street,  Liverpool, 
England.  This  much  esteemed  and 
highly  interesting  periodical  has  been 
published  for  many  years;  fifteen  vol- 
umes have  been  completed.  In  the 
British  lies,  it  has  a  circulation  of 
about  twenty  thousand :  it  is  also 
extensively  circulated  in  Europe,  Asia, 
Australia,  Pacific  Islands,  and  Amer- 
ica. Its  columns  embrace  the  general 
history  of  the  Church  of  the  Latter- 
Day  Saints  from  its  rise,  together 
with  the  interesting  news  from  our 
missionaries  among  all  nations  ;  they 
are  also  interspersed  with  many  arti- 
cles on  prophecy  and  doctrine,  open- 
ing the  grand  events  of  futurity,  and 
elucidating  the  principles  of  salvation, 
with  a  clearness  which,  at  once,  shows 
that  they  are  the  productions,  not  of 
human  wisdom,  but  of  the  wisdom  of 
God.  The  saints  who  wish  to  inform 
themselves  of  the  rapid  spread  of  the 
gospel,  and  upon  every  other  useful 
subject,  connected  with  the  great  Lat- 
ter-Day Dispensation  in  which  they 
live,  should  without  fail  procure  the 
volumes  of  the  Star,  and  they  will 
have  a  continual  feast.  We  have 
volumes  11,  13,  14,  and  loon  hand 
for  sale.  Prices  as  mentioned  in  the 
Catalogue,  except  vol.  14,  which  con- 
tains 44  Nos.  and  supplement,  for  $2, 
or  $2  20  including  postage  pre-paid  by 
us.  Will  the  saints  be  indifferent 
about  procuring  these  most  valuable 
publications  ?  Will  they  grope  in 
darkness  when  light  of  the  most  pure 
and  heavenly  nature  is  within  their 
reach  ?  Will  they  plead  poverty,  as 
an  excuse  for  depriving  themselves 
and  their  children  of  blessings  that 
would  be  of  more  value  to  them  than 
any  earthly  consideration  ?  Would 
it  not  be  much  better  to  dispense  for 
a  while  with  some  of  the  luxuries  of 
life,  and  thus  save  a  little  means  to 
procure  heavenly  light  and  truth,  than 
to  live  in  ignorance  of  what  God  is 
doing  through  His  people  ?  Would 
it  not  be  more  God-like  to  dispense 
with  that  nauseous  and  disgusting 
habit    of  chewin<j    and   smoking;  to- 


bacco, and  by  that  means  not  only 
save  your  health  and  constitution,  but 
save  funds  to  purchase  a  far  more 
healthy  and  durable  food  upon  which 
you  can  feast  your  minds  both  in 
time  and  in  eternity?  Or  will  you 
lie  down  and  grovel  in  ignorance 
like  the  natural  brute  beast,  and 
yet  profess  to  be  Saints  ?  Will  you, 
not  only  curse  yourselves  with  blind- 
ness and  darkness,  but  entail  the  same 
upon  your  children  and  upon  your 
generations  after  you?  How  can  you 
be  the  children  of  light,  when  light 
shines  all  around  you,  and  yet  you 
perceive  it  not  ?  One  Presiding  El- 
der over  a  branch  of  forty  professed 
Saints  in  North  Carolina  writes  that 
he  had  heard  nothing  of  the  saints 
since  they  were  driven  from  Nauvoo. 
Now,  if  he  had  been  in  China,  in 
Australia,  or  in  the  Pacific  Isles,  he 
would  have  obtained  an  abundance  of 
news  concerning  them ;  but  it  seems 
that  some  impenetrable  barrier  down 
south  has  shut  out  all  light  and  infor- 
mation for  these  many  years  ;  it  must 
be  a  dismal  place,  indeed  !  We  can 
tli ink  of  nothing  to  compare  with  it 
only  the  old  antediluvian  prison  where 
no  heavenly  light  or  information  burst 
in  upon  them  for  the  long  dreary  period 
of  two  thousand  years  and  upwards. 
How  long  it  will  be  before  the  prison 
doors  down  south  will  be  opened,  we 
know  not.  There  possibly  may  be 
some  chance  for  them  at  the  close  of 
the  Millennium. 


Appointment.  Elder  James  Brown 
is  hereby  appointed  Emigration  Agent 
for  the  Saints  at  New  Orleans.  He  is 
requested  to  go  immediately  to  that 
city,  so  as  to  be  there  in  time  to  make 
preparations  for  the  ships,  filled  wilh 
the  emigrating  Saints  from  Liverpool. 
The  most  of  these  ships  will  most 
probably  arrive  between  the  middle 
of  February  and  the  middle  of  May. 
Elder  Brown  has  been  laboring-  in  the 
ministry  with  some  success  in  Indiana, 
and  we  trust  his  active  business  turn 
of  mind  will  prove  a  blessing  to  the 
emigrating  Saints,  and  save  them  much 
expense  and  trouble.  Brother  Brown 
will  open  a   correspondence  with  S. 


218 


REPENTANCE. 


W.  Richards,  our  agent  at  Liverpool, 
and  will  thus  learn,  previous  to  the 
arrival  of  each  ship,  the  names  and 
ages  of  all   the  passengers  on  board, 


which  will  be  a  help  to  him  in  mal  - 
ing  every  necessary  arrangement. 
ORSON"  PRATT, 
President  of  the  Saints  in  the 
U.  S.  and  British  Provinces 


REPENTANCE. 


BY    THE     EDITOR. 


Repentance  is  one  of  the  condi- 
tions granted  to  fallen  man,  through 
which  he  is  made  a  partaker  of  the 
purchased  gift  and  blessings  of  salva- 
tion. Repentance  is  a  sorrow  of  heart 
for  all  past  sins  committed,  and  a  full 
confession  unto  the  Lord  of  the  same, 
connected  with  a  covenant  or  prom- 
ise, and  a  fixed  settled  determination 
in  the  mind,  to  sin  no  more.  Re- 
pentance may  be  considered  under 
the  following  four  heads  : 

First.  The  evils  and  sins  to  be 
repented  of. 

Second.  The  nature  of  the  sor- 
row connected  with   true   repentance. 

Third.  The  confession  necessary 
for  the  penitent. 

Fourth.  The  promise  and  deter- 
mination to  sin  no  more. 

We  shall  examine,  First,  The  evils 
and  sins  to  he  repented  of.  Before 
any  one  can  repent,  he  must  be  con- 
vinced of  sin.  Sin  is  a  transgression 
of  the  law.  Without  a  knowledge  of 
the  law,  a  person  cannot  always  dis- 
cern between  good  and  sinful  actions. 
The  light  that  is  in  every  man  which 
comes  into  the  world,  will  enable 
him,  without  the  aid  of  the  revealed 
law,  to  distinguish  in  some  small  de- 
gree, between  good  and  evil.  But 
there  are  many  evils  that  could  not 
be  known  short  of  the  revealed  law. 
The  light  of  conscience  will  make 
manifest  some  of  the  more  glaring 
evils :  but  this  light  becomes  greatly 
obscured  by  neglect  and  by  constant 
violation  of  its  teachings,  so  much  so, 
that  persons  may  become  almost  or 
wholly  insensitive  to  the  dictates  of 
conscience  :  many  actions  which  were 
once  considered  evils  will,  by  con- 
stant habit,  be   considered   virtuous; 


while  many  practices  once  consid- 
ered good,  will  by  tradition  and  habit 
be  transformed  into  evils.  A  heathen 
entirely  unacquainted  with  the  re- 
vealed law,  would,  if  he  were  always 
to  follow  the  still  small  voice  of  con- 
science, receive  more  and  more  light, 
and  be  able  to  discover  many  import- 
ant truths,  and  to  distinguish  between 
virtue  and  vice  more  clearly  than 
those  who  are  constantly  violating 
the  monitor  within  them.  But  with 
all  the  light  that  he  could  glean,  in- 
dependent of  revelation,  he  would  be 
far  from  understanding  the  sinfulness 
of  many  actions,  and  would  be  en- 
tirely ignorant  of  the  nature  of  others 
in  regard  to  whether  they  were  sinful 
or  not :  and  he  would  also  be  wholly 
uninformed  in  regard  to  a  future  judg- 
ment and  the  penalties  to  be  inflicted 
upon  sinners  ;  and  without  a  knowl- 
edge of  these  things  he  could  not 
repent  acceptably  as  the  gospel  re- 
quires. 

It  is  therefore,  by  the  revealed  law, 
that  we  become  acquainted  with  good 
and  evil  more  fully;  and  by  which 
we  learn  that  we  are  accountable  be- 
ings, and  must  be  judged  by  the  law 
for  our  doings,  and  that  the  penalty 
of  the  law  must  be  executed  upon  us, 
if  we  have  transgressed  it,  in  order  to 
satisfy  the  demands  of  justice,  unless 
we  have  complied  with  the  condi- 
tions through  which  mercy  may  have 
claim  upon  us,  and  may  deliver  us 
from  the  justice  of  the  law.  Paul 
says,  "  1  had  not  known  sin  but  by 
the  law:  for  I  had  not  known  lust, 
except  the  law  had  said,  Thou  shalt 
not  covet,"  (Rom.  7:  7.)  Without 
the  law,  conscience  does  not  teach  us 
that  to  labor  on  the  Sabbath  day  is 


REPENTANCE. 


219 


sinful.  There  is  no  process  of  rea- 
soning that  will  teach  a  heathen  that 
lahor  on  the  Sabbath  is  any  more  sin- 
ful, than  labor  performed  on  Monday, 
or  Tuesday,  or  any  other  day  of  the 
week.  It  is  by  the  revealed  law,  and 
not  by  conscience,  that  this  sin  is  dis- 
covered. Conscience  may  teach  the 
heathen  that  to  murder  is  an  evil,  and 
human  laws  may  teach  them  that 
death  shall  be  the  punishment  of  the 
murderer.  Through  fears  of  the  pen- 
alties of  the  law  and  the  evils  result- 
ing in  this  life,  they  refrain  in  a  great 
measure  from  committing  this  crime  ; 
but  they  have  no  knowlc  'ge  of  the 
higher  law  against  murder,  nor  of  the 
greater  penalty  which  will  be  inflicted 
upon  the  murderer  beyond  this  life  ; 
they  have  no  knowledge  of  a  higher 
Being  who  will  call  them  to  account 
for  that  crime.  If,  therefore,  they 
should  repent  of  murder,  it  would  not 
be  for  the  purpose  of  escaping  the 
penalty  in  the  next  life,  nor  for  the 
purpose  of  pleasing  God,  of  whose 
laws  they  know  nothing,  but  for  the 
purpose  of  avoiding  the  evils  result- 
ing in  this  present  world.  Such  re- 
pentance, though  good  as  far  as  it 
goes,  is  not  that  which  the  gospel  re- 
quires; it  is  not  repentance  towards 
God,  but  it  is  a  repentance  towards 
man,  in  order  to  please  man,  and  to 
avoid  the  penalty  of  man's  laws. 

There  are  many  among  the  heathen 
who  commit  adultery  and  fornication ; 
conscience  does  not  tell  them  that 
God  is  displeased  with  these  evils ; 
indeed,  some  of  them  do  not  consider 
these  to  be  evils,  and  have  no  more 
remorse  of  conscience  in  doing  them, 
than  they  would  have  in  eating  when 
they  were  hungry.  But  when  they 
learn  the  law  of  God,  they  discover 
that  these  are  great  evils,  and  that  the 
punishments  to  be  inflicted  in  the  next 
life  for  these  sins,  are  of  the  most 
fearful  nature.  Without  the  law,  they 
consider  that  all  is  well ;  but  when  the 
law  is  made  known,  they  find  them- 
selves transgressors.  As  the  apostle 
Paul  says,  "  Without  the  law  sin  was 
dead.  For  I  was  alive  without  the 
law  once :  but  when  the  command- 
ment came,  sin  revived,  and   1  died. 


And  the  commandment  which  was  or- 
dained to  life,  I  found  to  be  unto  death. 
For  sin,  taking  occasion  by  the  com- 
mandment, deceived  me,  and  by  it 
slew  me.  Wherefore  the  law  is  holy, 
and  the  commandment  holy,  and 
just,  and  good.  Was  then  that 
which  is  goud  made  death  unto  me  ? 
God  forbid.  But  sin,  that  it  might 
appear  sin,  working  death  in  me  by 
that  which  is  good;  that  sin  by  the 
commandment  might  become  exce  d- 
ing  sinful."     (Romans  7:  8 — 13.) 

Where  there  is  no  knowledge  of 
the  revealed  law  of  God,  sinful  ac- 
tions will  not  be  punished  to  the  same 
extent  as  where  the  laws  and  their  pen- 
alties are  known  ;  for  the  apostle  says, 
"Sin  is  not  imputed  when  there  is  no 
law."  (Rom.  5:  13.)  That  is,  sin 
is  not  imputed  to  the  same  extent,  and 
they  are  not  punished  with  the  same 
severity,  as  those  who  are  acquainted 
with  the  law.  Hence,  the  Saviour  de- 
clares that  he  who  knoweth  the  mas- 
ter's will  and  doeth  it  not,  shall  be 
beaten  with  many  stripes;  while  he 
that  knoweth  not,  and  yet  doeth  things 
worthy  of  punishment,  shall  be  beaten 
with  few  stripes.  The  apostle  also 
says,  "For  as  many  as  have  sinned 
j  without  law,  shall  also  perish  without 
:  law  ;  and  as  many  as  have  sinned  in 
j  the  law.  shall  be  judged  by  the  law." 
j  (Rom.  2:  12.)  The  heathen,  there- 
fore, will  perish  without  law,  and  be 
beaten  with  few  stripes,  because  they 
obeyed  not  the  light  that  was  in  them  ; 
but  the  penalty  of  the  revealed  law 
will  not  fully  be  executed  upon  them, 
and  it  will  be  more  tolerable  for  them 
in  the  day  of  judgment,  than  for  those 
who  have  sinned,  having  the  law,  and 
who  are  to  be  judged  by  the  law,  and 
have  the  sentence  of  the  law  executed 
upon  them.  Such,  without  repent- 
ance, will  suffer  eternal  torment  and 
everlasting  banishment  from  the  pres- 
ence of  God.  And  they  will  have 
weeping,  and  wailing,  and  gnashing  of 
teeth. 

Having  learned  that  man  is  con- 
victed of  sin  by  the  law,  let  us  next 
endeavor  to  ascertain  what  sins  the 
present  generation  are  guilty  of,  in  or- 
der to  learn  whether  they  have  any 


220 


REPENTANCE. 


need  to  repent.  We  will,  for  the 
present,  pass  over  the  sins  of  the 
heathens,  and  enumerate  some  of  the 
evils  existing  among  Christian  nations 
where  they  have  copies  of  the  re- 
vealed law  existing-  by  millions,  and 
where  almost  every  family  can  read 
the  sacred  pages  of  the  same.  The 
Divine  law  says,  "  Thou  shall  not 
kill."  Now  it  is  not  the  individual 
who  murders  who  is  alone  criminal, 
but  all  those  who  sanction  the  same. 
When  the  Saints  were  murdered  in 
Missouri  and  Illinois  by  the  mar- 
shaled hosts  of  the  wicked,  who  were 
urged  on  by  the  highest  authorities  of 
those  States,  it  is  a  notable  fact  that 
thousands  of  professed  Christians,  and 
many  Christian  ministers  of  different 
denominations,  were  directly  engaged 
in  those  most  wicked  and  horrid  mur- 
ders. When  the  great  prophet  of  the 
Lord  was  taken  unlawfully  from  his 
peaceful  avocations,  and  torn  from  his 
family,  and  carried,  with  a  number  of 
others,  into  the  mob  camp,  and  was 
sentenced  to  be  shot  the  next  morn- 
ing, who  was  it  that  sanctioned  and 
urged  on  these  diabolical  deeds  ?  We 
reply,  that  among  the  vast  hosts  of 
those  who  made  no  profession  of 
religion,  there  were  no  less  than 
SEVENTEEN  preachers  of  different 
orders  who  were  in  this  council,  and 
most  strenuously  urged  the  cold- 
blooded murder  of  the  prophet  and 
his  friends  in  the  presence  of  their 
own  familes  upon  the  public  square. 
Have  these  preachers  and  the  thou- 
sands of  professors  of  religion  who 
took  such  an  active  part  in  the  foul 
murders  of  the  Saints,  been  disfellow- 
shiped  by  their  brethren  throughout 
the  States  ?  No,  they  are  still,  the 
most  of  them,  retained  in  the  respec- 
tive churches  to  which  they  belonged. 
But  were  those  who  immediately  par- 
ticipated in  these  bloody  persecutions, 
the  only  ones  guilty  ?  Were  there 
not  hundreds  of  thousands  in  the 
United  States  and  other  Christian  na- 
tions, who  in  their  hearts  sanctioned 
these  things,  and  who  still  continue 
to  sanction  them  ?  Yea,  more,  has 
not  even  the  general  government  it- 
self, indirectly  sanctioned  these  whole- 


sale murders  and  robberies,  as  has 
been  most  clearly  manifested  by  their 
cold  and  unfeeling  neglect,  and  their 
refusal  to  protect  the  Saints  in  the 
rights  of  American  citizens,  while 
dwelling  in  those  rebellious  States  ? 
Will  the  persons  who  committed  these 
murders  and  shed  the  blood  of  the 
only  prophets  which  God  has  sent  to 
the  earth  for  more  than  a  thousand 
years,  be  the  only  ones  condemned  as 
murderers  in  the  day  of  judgment? 
No.  Every  person  who  has  in  the  least 
sanctioned  these  things  will  suffer 
with  the  murderers,  unless  they  re- 
pent. The  Saviour  said  that  the  blood 
of  all  the  prophets  which  had  been 
shed  upon  the  earth,  from  the  days  of 
righteous  Abel,  until  the  blood  of 
Zacharius,  which  was  shed  between 
the  temple  and  the  altar,  should  be 
required  of  that  generation.  Why  ? 
Because  they  sanctioned  the  murder 
of  cotemporary  prophets.  The  appro- 
bation, given  to  the  murder  of  the 
prophet  Zacharius  and  other  prophets, 
sent  directly  to  them,  was  just  as 
wicked  as  though  they  had  actually 
killed  all  the  former  ones.  So  like- 
wise, God  will  require  of  this  na- 
tion, and  of  every  individual  on 
the  earth,  who  in  the  least  sanctions 
the  murder  of  Joseph  the  prophet, 
or  any  of  the  Saints,  the  blood  of 
those  holy  men  at  their  hands ; 
and  not  only  their  blood,  but  the 
blood  of  every  righteous  person 
that  has  been  shed  upon  the  earth  in 
any  age,  will  be  required  at  the  hands 
of  those  among  this  generation  who 
give  countenance  in  their  hearts  to  these 
wicked  deeds.  This,  therefore,  is  one 
among  the  many  sins  which  hundreds 
of  thousands  are  guilty  of,  and  of  which 
they  must  most  heartily  repent,  or  else 
the  blood  of  the  prophets  and  the 
saints  will  ascend  up  to  heaven 
against,  them,  and  in  the  great  day  of 
judgment,  they  will  receive  their  por- 
tion, not  only  among  hypocrites  and 
unbelievers,  but  among  murderers, 
whose  deeds  they  have  sanctioned. 

Also,  the  revealed  law  says,  uThou 
shah,  not  commit  adultery."  And  we 
are  informed  that  those  who  do  this 
evil  are  to  be  punished  with  murder- 


REPENTANCE. 


221 


ers.  The  Lord  says  by  the  mouth  of 
John  the  revelator,  that  "  The  fearful, 
and  unbelieving,  and  the  abominable, 
and  murderers,  and  whoremongers, 
and  sorcerers,  and  idolaters,  and 
all  liars,  shall  have  their  part  in 
the  lake  which  burnetii  with  fire 
and  brimstone :  which  is  the  sec- 
ond death."  Now  when  we  examine 
the  present  state  of  the  nations  of 
Christendom,  what  do  we  find  ?  We 
find  them  continually  practicing  these 
great  evils  so  clearly  and  expressly 
forbidden  in  the  law  of  God.  In  the 
city  of  New  York  alone,  there  are 
about  twenty  thousand  public  pros- 
titutes, who  procure  their  living  by  a 
constant  violation  of  these  divine  laws. 
In  the  cities  of  Boston,  Albany,  Phil- 
adelphia, Baltimore,  New  Orleans,  and 
scores  of  others  that  might  be  named, 
there  are  thousands  of  female  pros- 
titutes. Now  these  wretched  and  vile 
characters  are  supported  by  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  the  male  population, 
who  daily  and  hourly  commit  crimes 
sufficient  to  sink  the  nation  to  the 
lowest  hell.  In  ancient  times  such  in- 
iquities brought  swift  judgment  upon 
the  whole  people  where  they  were  al- 
lowed. For  one  such  crime  among 
the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  God  com- 
manded the  other  tribes  to  go  to  war 
with  them ;  and  the  whole  tribe,  men, 
women,  and  children,  were  cut  oft", 
with  the  exception  of  a  very  few. 
Does  God  feel  any  different  towards 
this  sin  now,  from  what  he  did  then  ? 
Is  he  not  unchangeable  in  regard  to 
his  abhorrence  of  sin  ?  If  so,  what 
must  be  His  feelings  to  look  down  and 
behold  several  hundred  thousand  adul- 
terers, and  adulteresses,  and  whore- 
mongers in  the  American  nation — a 
nation  that  boasts  of  her  moral  and 
Christian  institutions,  and  refinements? 
How  is  it,  that  the  heavens  can  with- 
hold speedy  and  awful  vengeance 
from  the  nation  ?  Nothing  but  the 
few  honest,  sincere,  and  humble  souls 
among  them,  prevents  an  entire  over- 
throw and  destruction.  When  these 
are  gathered  out,  then  will  come  the 
day  of  visitation,  and  of  fierce  wrath 
which  has  been  held  in  reserve  for  a 
long  time  ;  then  will  he  quickly  wipe 


away  these  enormous,  wholesale  evils 
with  which  this  choice  land  has  been, 
for  a  long  period,  most  fearfully  and 
dreadfully  polluted.  But  this  nation  is 
not  alone  sunk  down  to  the  lowest 
depths  of  degradation  and  wickedness  : 
other  nations,calling  themselves  Chris- 
tians, are  equally  guilty.  In  the  city  of 
London  alone,  there  are  about  ninety 
thousand  public  female  prostitutes, 
supported  by  several  hundred  thou- 
sand male  prostitutes  equally  criminal. 
In  Birmingham,  Manchester,  Liver- 
pool, Glasgow,  Edinburgh,  and  finally 
in  all  the  large  towns,  tens  of  thou- 
sands get  their  daily  and  yearly  living 
by  the  commission  of  this  great  crime. 
And  what  renders  these  evils  still 
more  abominable  in  the  sight  of  God, 
is  that  they  are  constantly  taking 
place  in  a  land  of  Bibles,  where  mill- 
ions of  copies  of  the  divine  law  are 
circulated  in  their  midst,  and  where 
all  have  an  opportunity  of  inform- 
ing themselves  of  the  denunciations 
of  heaven  against  these  iniquities. 
Again,  when  we  cross  over  from  Chris- 
tian England  to  the  European  nations 
on  the  continent,  the  scenery  is  still 
worse,  and  too  abominable  to  be 
named,  or  even  thought  of,  in  regard 
to  the  extent  and  magnitude  of  these 
filthy  soul-destroying  dens  of  pollu- 
tions. In  many  of  these  nations, 
their  own  statistics  show,  that  above 
half  the  number  of  infants  born  are 
illegitimate.  Only  think  of  the  ex- 
tent of  crime,  when  in  one  nation, 
comparatively  small,  from  fifty  to  a 
hundred  thousand  illegitimate  chil- 
dren are  annually  born,  which  is  as 
it  were  only  an  index  to  the  still 
greater  amount  of  crime  that  does  not 
render  itself  quite  so  apparent. 

It  is  almost  an  astonishment  that 
God  should  have  permitted  these  na- 
tions to  practice  these  great  abomina- 
tions  for  so  many  generations  without 
utterly  destroying  them  from  the  earth. 
And  it  is  also  an  astonishment  that  he 
should  condescend  to  send  a  prophet 
with  a  message  to  a  generation  so 
awfully  corrupt  and  wicked  as  the 
present.  They  are  not  worthy  of 
prophets,  or  apostles,  or  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  but  yet  God  has  sent  one  of 


222 


REPENTANCE. 


the  most  glorious  messages  that  ever 
reached  the  ears  of  mortals,  to  this 
very  generation  who  are  worthy  of 
nothing  but  judgment:  he  has  done 
this,  not  because  many  of  them  will 
receive  it,  but  because  he  intends  to 
pour  out  the  vials  of  his  wrath  upon 
them;  and  he  knows  that  the  rejec- 
tion of  so  great  a  message  will  more 
speedily  ripen  them  for  an  entire  over- 
throw and  utter  desolation  ;  that  his 
vineyard  may  no  more  be  cumbered 
with  such  abominable  trash.  God 
very  well  knew,  that  this  generation 
were  too  far  gone  in  the  wicked  tra- 
ditions of  their  fathers,  and  sunk  too 
low  in  the  depths  of  wickedness,  to 
receive  a  prophet,  or  hearken  to  the 
voice  of  inspiration  ;  but  he  knew  that 
the  rejection  of  prophets,  and  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  would  leave  them 
without  the  least  excuse,  when  he 
should  rise  up  to  destroy  and  make  a 
full  end  of  wickedness. 

Perhaps  some  may  say  that  these 
great  crimes  are  nut  approbated  by 
the  majority,  and  therefore  the  major- 
ity should  not  suffer  for  the  doings 
of  the  minority.  But  we  reply,  if  the 
majority  do  not  approbate  them,  why 
do  they  not  put  a  linal  stop  to  crimes 
of  this  nature?  It  is  the  majority 
that  rule  and  make  the  laws  of  the 
land  :  why  then,  do  not  the  majority, 
through  their  representatives,  make 
laws  for  the  utter  abolishment  of  these 
crimes?  They  have  the  constitutional 
right,  as  well  as  the  power,  to  make 
such  laws  and  affix  such  penalties, 
as  shall  effectually  demolish  these 
criminal  connections.  The  criminal 
code  of  our  country  pretends  to  be 
founded,  in  a  great  measure,  upon  the 
criminal  code  contained  in  the  divine 
oracles.  If  laws  are  made  against  these 
crimes,  why  not  affix  to  them  the 
same  penalties  that  the  great  Divine 
Law-Giver  has  ordained?  Death  to 
both  the  parties  is  the  penalty  of  the 
Divine  law.  When  this  penalty  was 
in  force  in  ancient  times,  it  was  sel- 
dom that  this  crime  was  committed. 
Let  the  majority  of  the  people  in  the 
several  States  and  Territories,  elect 
such  legislators,  as  will  affix  the  pen- 
alty of  the  divine  law  to  the  laws  which 


they  enact  against  these  crimes,  and 
they  will  soon  see  a  great  reformation; 
and  adulteries  and  criminal  connections 
will  become  as  rare  as  murders:  every 
den  of  pollution  throughout  the  land 
would  be  broken  up:  no  female  would, 
at  the  risk  of  her  life,  think  of 
following  a  practice  so  criminal  and 
vile :  the  constant  practice  of  mur- 
der, would  be  no  more  dangerous 
than  constant  prostitution  for  a  liv- 
ing. Such  laws  and  such  only,  will 
prove  an  effectual  remedy  against 
this  great  crime  which  has  so  iiear- 
fully  and  extensively  corrupted  the 
nation.  If  the  majority  do  not  make 
laws  to  effectually  remedy  and  abol- 
ish the  crime,  then  these  evils  will, 
in  the  day  of  judgment,  be  answered 
upon  their  own  heads,  and  they  will 
be  found  guilty,  for  suffering  crimes 
of  such  magnitude  to  prevail  through- 
out the  country,  when  it  was  within 
their  own  power  to  have  legislated 
against  them  with  that  severity  that 
would  have  swept  them  out  of  the 
land.  The  very  fact  that  the  major- 
ity do  not  make  such  laws,  shows 
most  clearly  that  they  are  guilty  of 
approbating  the  evil,  at  least,  in  oth- 
ers, if  not  in  themselves;  therefore, 
in  the  sight  of  the  Great  Law-Giver, 
they  are  considered  guilty  of  partici- 
pating in  the  same  crimes.  If  the 
minority  would  free  themselves  from 
the  same  condemnation,  they  must 
repent.  But  how  must  they  repent? 
It  is  not  within  the  power  of  the  mi- 
nority to  elect  legislators,  therefore, 
how  can  they  remedy  this  evil,  even 
if  they  feel  ever  so  much  disposed  ? 
We  reply,  that  they  can  repent  of 
ever  having  cast  a  vote  for  the  elec- 
tion of  a  legislator,  that  would  not 
promise,  before  hand,  that  he  would 
use  every  exertion  1o  have  such  laws 
passed  ;  and  they  can  reform,  by  not 
being  guilty,  for  the  future,  of  using 
their  influence  and  vote  for  the  election 
of  legislators  who  will  not  do  their 
duty  in  this  respect.  This  kind  of 
repentance  and  reformation  will  save 
the  majority  from  the  condemnation 
that  rests  upon  the  minority;  and 
without  such  repentance,  the  minor- 
ity, as  well  as  the  majority,  will  be 


REPENTANCE. 


223 


considered,  in  the  great  judgment,  as  I 
being  guilty   of   participating  in    the 
same  crimes.     It  was  for  like  reasons,  I 
that   God    visited   in    judgment,   the 
whole  tribe  of  Benjamin  and  nearly 
extinguished  them  from  the  face  of 
the   earth.     It  was    not  because    the  i 
whole  tribe  had   been  directly  guilty 
of  the  crime,  but  because  they  refused  ' 
to  bring  the  few  that  were  guilty  to  j 
justice;  therefore  God   held  the  ma- 
jority, yes,  even  the  whole  tribe,  with 
the  exception  of  a  very  few,  responsi- 
ble for  the  wicked  acts  of  the  few  indi- 
viduals; and  the  same  penalty  of  death 
that  would  have  been  inflicted   only 
upon  the  few  who  were  immediately  i 
guilty,   was   with    equal    justice    in- ; 
dieted   upon   the  whole  who   refused 
to  deliver  up  the  criminals.      So  like- 
wise, shall  it  be  with  this  nation,  un- 
less they  do  away  these  abominations 
that  are  in  their  midst :  God  will  de- 
nounce them  as  being  equally  guilty 
as  those  who  commit  these  crimes  : 
and    he    will   inflict  upon    them    the 
same  penalty,  that   should  have  been 
inflicted  upon  the  criminals ;  and  he 
will  cast  them  down  to  hell  to  dwell 
with   such  vile  and  abominable  char- 
acters, because  they  did   not  destroy 
these  crimes  from  the  land. 

The  people  of  the  United  States  are 
far  more  guilty  in  this  one  respect, 
than  the  people  in  other  governments  ; 
for  here,  it  is  the  people  who  make 
the  laws, through  the  legislators  of  their 
own  choosing,  consequently  the  peo- 
ple are  responsible,  not  only  for 
the  laws  that  are  made,  but  for  the 
neglect  to  make  any  laws  that  ought 
to  be  made.  But  in  many  other  gov- 
ernments the  people  have  no  choice  in 
the  appointment  of  their  law-givers ; 
and  if  the  law-making  department 
make  unjust  laws,  or  refuse  to  make 
laws  for  the  suppression  of  crime,  the 
people  cannot  remedy  the  evil  with- 
out revolutionizing  their  forms  of  gov- 
ernment. Jn  such  cases  the  respon- 
sibility rests  upon  the  individuals 
committing  the  crime,  and  upon  the 
law-making  department  who  do  not 
by  appropriate  laws  suppress  it,  and 
also  upon  all  others  who  approbate 
the  same,  or  do  not  protest  against  it. 


The  people  of  Utah  are  the  only 
ones  in  this  nation  who  have  taken 
efl'ectual  measures  (we  will  not  say  to 
supj/ress.  for  the  word  is  entirely  in- 
applicable to  them,)  but  to  prevent 
adulteries  and  criminal  connections 
between  the  sexes.  The  punishment 
in  that  territory,  for  these  crimes  is 
DEATH  TO  BOTH  3IALE  AND 
FEMALE.  And  this  law  is  written  on 
the  hearts  and  printed  in  the  thoughts 
of  the  whole  people.  Does  not  this 
righteous  and  just  law  have  its  de- 
sired effect  upon  them  ?  Yes  ;  it  es- 
tablishes virtue  upon  a  permanent 
foundation,  and  deals  out  justice  to 
the  vile  seducer,  adidterer  and  whore- 
monger, so  far  as  it  can  be  dealt  out 
in  this  life;  it  preserves  the  purity  of 
the  morals  of  the  whole  population, 
which  is  essentially  necessary  to  the 
peace,  happiness,  and  prosperity  of  any 
people,  government,  or  nation.  There, 
no  houses  of  ill-fame,  or  public,  or 
private  prostitutes,  can  be  found  to 
corrupt  society  and  pollute  the  land. 
There,  no  arch  seducer  is  permitted  to 
flatter  the  young  and  inexperienced 
female,  till  he  has  ruined  his  victim 
and  left  her  an  outcast  from  society. 
There,  no  vile  adulterer  can  creep, 
into  families,  and  violate  the  sacred 
chastity  of  the  marriage  covenant. 
What  prevents  these  evils?  It  is  the 
righteousness  of  the  people,  and  the 
righteousness  of  their  laws;  it  is  the 
love  of  virtue  and  the  fear  of  punish- 
ment combined.  This  is  the  kind  of 
repentance  and  reformation  acceptable 
in  the  sight  of  God ;  it  is  to  repent, 
not  in  word  only,  but  in  deed,  and  in 
truth,  and  in  the  enactment  of  just 
and  equitable  laws  ;  and  in  the  execu- 
tion of  these  laws  upon  the  transgres- 
sor. Repentance  is  not  to  ascend  into 
a  finely  cushioned  pulpit,  and  there 
whine  over  the  wickedness  of  the 
people,  without  taking  any  effectual 
means  to  reform  and  suppress  that 
wickedness.  Repentance  does  not 
consist  in  merely  pointing  out  the 
evil  and  professing  to  be  very  much 
grieved  that  it  exists,  but  it  consists  in 
refraining  from  the  evil,  and  pointing 
out  the  remedy  by  which  it  can  be 
corrected,  and  applying  that  remedy 


224 


REPENTANCE. 


as  far  as  possible,  and  teaching-  all 
others  to  apply  it.  Utah  is  an  exam- 
ple ;  and  the  virtuous  results  of  her 
wholesome  and  just  laws  should  in- 
duce the  States  and  other  Territories  to 
follow  in  the  same  virtuous  track. 
Let  them  try  it,  and  we  will  insure 
them  a  much  more  wholesome  moral 
atmosphere ;  and  the  overflowing' 
floods  of  prostitution  will  be  assuaged, 
and  the  fountain  will  dry  up,  and  the 
houses  of  ill-fame  will  be  abolished; 
and  these  abominable  evils  will  van- 
ish away ;  and  the  American  nation 
will  become  a  virtuous  people — an 
example  for  all  other  nations  to  fol- 
low ;  and  God  will  repent  of  the  evil 
which  he  intends  to  bring  upon  them  ; 
and  his  hand  of  judgment  will  be 
lightened,  and  his  chastisements  will 
not  be  so  heavy  upon  them.  But  if 
they  repent  not,  but  permit  these 
crimes  to  continue,  the  Lord  will  sure- 
ly visit  them,  and  will  not  spare,  but 
will  execute  all  his  fierce  wrath  upon 
them,  until  they  shall  cease  to  be  a 
nation  before  him ;  and  they  shall 
know  that  it  is  the  Lord  against  whom 
they  have  sinned,  and  before  whom 
their  abominations  have  continually 
been  practiced,  in  defiance  of  his 
laws,  and  of  his  holy  and  just  indig- 
nation. 

Among  the  various  evils  forbidden 
by  the  revealed  law,  is  that  of  false- 
hood. God  so  detests  this  evil,  that 
he  has  informed  us,  that    whosoever 


"loveth  or  maketh  a  lie  shall  have 
their  part  in  that  lake  which  burneth 
with  fire  and  brimstone."  God  is 
a  God  of  truth,  and  cannot  lie  without 
violating  the  great  perfections  and  at- 
tributes of  his  nature,  which  if  he 
should  do,  his  power  and  glory  would 
cease,  and  other  Beings  who  are  filled 
witli  all  the  fullness  of  his  attributes, 
would  succeed  in  his  place.  But  God 
knowing  all  things,  and  loving  right- 
eousness  and  truth  with  a  perfect  love, 
it  is  impossible  for  him  to  violate  the 
great  unchangeable  principles  of  his 
nature.  Now  all  those  who  are  per- 
mitted to  dwell  in  his  presence,  must 
love  truth  as  he  loves  it,  and  be  as 
stable  and  unchangeable  in  truth  as 
he  is.  All  who  are  otherwise,  can  by 
no  means  be  permitted  to  dwell  there, 
to  disturb  the  peace,  happiness,  con- 
fidence, and  truthfulness  that  reign 
universally  in  those  pure  and  heavenly 
mansions.  The  devil  was  a  liar  from 
the  beginning,  and  is  the  father  of  lies, 
and  all  those  who  are  addicted  to  this 
evil,  are  his  children,  and  will  dwell 
with  their  father,  and  be  miserable  as 
he  is  miserable,  and  partake  with  him 
of  all  the  bitterness  of  hell,  and  asso- 
ciate with  liars,  and  deceivers,  and 
every  evil  doer.  Besides  the  lake  of 
fire  into  which  they  are  cast,  they  will 
make  an  additional  hell  of  their  own 
by  their  own  demoniac  and  malicious 
passions. 

(To  be  continued.) 


CONTENTS: 

Faith  is  the  gift  of  God, 209 

Questions  and  Answers, .212 

Editorial. — Statistics  of  Utah — Sandwich  Islands — China — San  Bernardino,  Cal- 
ifornia— New  Work — Millennial  Star — Appointment, 216 

Repentance, , 281 


WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.  C. 

EDITED    AND    PUBLISHED    BY    OB  SON    PRATT, 
Jit  $1  per  annum,  invariably  in  advance. 

f  ■ 


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15  IFIF  fr 


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9 


All  ye  inhabitants  of  i lit-  world,  ami  dwellers  on  the  earth.  See  Ye.  when  ile 
lifteth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains. — Isaiah  xvm,  3. 


Vol.  JJ. 


MARCH,    1854 


No.  3. 


POWERS  OF  NATURE. 


BY    THE     EDITOR. 


Man,  by  his  researches,  has  discov- 
ered many  methods  of  combining  the 
powers  of  nature,  so  as  to  produce 
astonishing  and  beneficial  results  :  he 
has,  by  the  happy  application  of  me- 
chanical skill,  so  arranged  the  parts 
of  machinery,  that,  by  developing  the 
forces  of  nature  in  connection  with 
them,  results  follow  which  would  be 
altogether  incredible  to  the  ignorant 
and  uninformed.  These  powers,  the 
elements  of  which,  in  the  hands  of 
skillful  and  experienced  mechanicians,  [ 
produce  such  astonishing  eflects,  are,  I 
when  traced  to  their  origin,  nothing 
less  than  the  powers  ordained  of  God  ; 
powers  that  pervade  all  nature,  or  in 
other  words,  the  power  of  God,  acting 
according  to  prescribed  laws,  fixed 
and  unchangeable  in  their  mode  of  op- 
eration, only  when  the  authority  that 
gave  them  directs  a  deviation. 

Man,  because,  he  beholds  the  eflects  j 
of  these  stupendous  powers,  as  they 
act  upon  the  material  elements  sur-  i 
rounding  him,  has  become  familiarized 
with    them,   and    unthinkingly   calls  j 
them  the  "powers  of  nature  ;"  and 
because    they  act  in    a  fixed,  unde- 1 
viating  manner,  he  calls   their  mode  i 
of  action  the  "  laws  of  nature ;  "  as  j 
though  abstract  nature  was  capable  of  | 
manifesting  power,  and  of  acting  ac-  j 
cording   to  law,  independently   of  a 
thinking,  living,   intelligent,   moving 
substance  in  association  with  it.     Na- 
ture has  no  power,  and  no  method  of  | 


action,  and  indeed,  no  action  what- 
ever, apart  from  a  thinking,  living 
substance,  which  is  constantly  asso- 
ciated with  it.  What  is  this  sub- 
stance ?  It  is  God,  or  in  other  words, 
the  Holy  Spirit  which  is  associated  in 
a  greater  or  less  degree  with  every 
particle  of  matter  in  the  universe,  it 
is  this  holy  and  All-wise  substance 
that  is  omnipresent,  pervading  uni- 
versal nature,  governing  and  controll- 
ing worlds  without  number,  producing 
and  superintending  the  grand  and 
august  movements  of  the  combined 
whole,  as  it  stretches  itself  out  on 
every  side  to  infinity  :  it  is  this  All- 
wise,  Omnipresent,  and  Almighty  sub- 
stance, that  unites  system  with  sys- 
tem, under  its  own  forces,  so  regu- 
lated, as  to  maintain  an  eternal  bond 
of  union,  and  yet  so  nicely  adjusted 
as  to  prevent  worlds  from  rushing  on 
worlds,  as  they  fly  with  inconceivable 
velocity  in  their  appointed  orbits. 

Were  it  not  for  the  presence  of  this 
all-pervading  substance,  matter  would 
be  wholly  devoid  of  force.  The  great 
central  force  of  gravitation  could  not 
exist :  matter  could  not  have  been  col- 
lected into  worlds ;  or  if  collected, 
there  could  have  been  no  adherence 
of  its  particles — no  chemical  com- 
binations— no  formation  of  solids  or 
liquids — no  organizations  of  any 
kind — no  varieties  of  matter — no  hard 
and  impenetrable  atoms  ;  but  all  sub- 
stance,   without   force,   would   have 


226 


POWERS  OF  NATURE. 


been  infinitely  divisible,  without  prop- 
erties of  any  kind,  except  the  prop- 
erty of  existence  in  space.  Hence, 
all  substance,  without  force,  could  not 
have  been  otherwise  than  precisely 
alike.  It  is  force,  then,  that  gives  all 
the  infinite  varieties  of  form,  taste, 
color,  smell,  hardness,  and  every 
other  characteristic  of  the  elements. 
This  force  is  constantly  acting  in  a 
fixed  and  definite  manner ;  so  that  un- 
der the  same  circumstances,  the  same 
results  are  produced.  This  fixed  rule 
of  action  is,  in  many  cases,  perceived 
by  both  the  learned  and  unlearned  ; 
and  all  mankind  are  constantly  gov- 
erned in  their  actions  by  a  firm  and 
unshaken  confidence  in  the  stability 
of  these  laws.  Some  of  these  laws 
have  been  traced  up  from  their  remote 
consequences  to  a  high  degree  of  gen- 
eralization ;  among  which  may  be 
mentioned  the  grand  law  of  universal 
gravitation,  by  which  every  particle 
of  matter  in  the  universe  has  a  tend- 
ency, not  to  attract,  (for  such  a  mode 
of  action  is,  in  all  cases,  absolutely 
impossible,)  but  to  approach  every 
other  particle  with  a  force  varying  in- 
versely as  the  square  of  its  distance : 
that  is,  two  particles  or  masses,  sit- 
uated at  twice  the  distance  from  each 
other,  will  not  have  the  same  tend- 
ency to  approach  as  at  a  nearer  dis- 
tance :  and  this  diminution  of  the  ap- 
proaching tendency  does  not  merely 
vary  in  the  simple  ratio  of  the  dis- 
tances, but  in  the  duplicate  propor- 
tion, so  that  at  twice  the  distance, 
instead  of  having  only  twice  less 
tendency  to  draw  near  each  other, 
they  have  four  times  less  inclination ; 
and  at  three  times  greater  distance, 
they  have  nine  times  less  force  ;  and 
at  four  times  the  distance,  their  force 
towards  each  other  is  sixteen  times 
less  :  and  whatever  be  the  distance, 
that  distance,  multiplied  into  itself,  will 
represent  inversely  the  force  or  inclina- 
tion of  the  two  bodies  to  approach  each 
other.  Now  the  first  moving  cause, 
that  ultimately  results  in  this  definite 
mode  of  action,  is  an  all-wise,  self- 
moving  substance  associated  with  the 
materials  thus  acting.  It  matters  not 
how  many  intervening  causes  there 


may  be  of  a  higher  order  of  general- 
ization  than  that  of  gravitation,  it  is 
certain  that  the  first  in  the  series  is 
not  only  all-wise   and   all-powerful, 
but  as  extensive  in  quantity  as   the 
materials  with  which  it  is  associated, 
and  upon  which  it  thus  intelligently 
acts.     If  we  are  unable  to   trace  the 
effects  up  through  all  the  intervening 
links  to  their  true  origin,  we  are  none 
the  less  assured  of   the   intelligence 
and  power  of  the  first  moving  cause. 
And  again,  we  behold  a  grand  dis- 
play of  the  wisdom  and  power  of  this 
governing  and  presiding  agent  in  the 
institution  of  a  law  to  counteract  the 
gravitating   tendency    of    the    whole 
universe,  namely  :  the  law  of  centri- 
fugal force,  by  which  the  bodies  of  a 
system   and    of  the    whole   universe 
have   a   tendency  to   revolve   around 
their  common  centre  of  gravity  with 
mean   velocities  proportioned  to  the 
inverse  square  root  of  their  mean  dis- 
tances.    This  law  is  dependent  on  the 
distances,  and  is  as  universal  as  that 
of  gravity.     All  our  planets  and  sa- 
tellites follow  this  law  as  strictly  and 
as  undeviatingly  as  the  law  of  central 
force.     For  instance,  a  planet,  situated 
from  the  sun  four  times  the  distance 
of  the  earth,  will  have  an  orbit  vel- 
ocity, one-half  as  great  as  the  earth's  ; 
at  nine  times   the   distance  its    orbit 
velocity  will  be  three  times  less ;  at 
sixteen  times  the  distance,  four  times 
less  ;  at  a  hundred  times  the  distance, 
ten  times  less*,  and  so  on,  the  velo- 
cities decreasing,  not  in  the  simple 
ratio  of  their  distances,  but  in  the  much 
slower    proportion     of    the     inverse 
square  root  of  those  distances.     The 
revolutions  of  the   satellites   around 
their  primaries  follow  the  same  law. 
And  suns  revolve  around  suns,   and 
systems  around    systems,  under  the 
influence  of  the  same  grand  and  ma- 
jestic  law.      And    thus    the    whole 
august  retinue  of  the  starry  heavens 
is  prevented  from  rushing  to  one  com- 
mon centre,  and  producing  a  univer- 
sal wreck  of  nature.     While  one  law 
prevents  the  bodies  from  parting  com- 
pany, and  flying  off  into  the  immea- 
surable wilds  of  space,  the  other  keeps 
them  at  respectful  distances,  and  does 


EXPLANATION    OF  NAMES  IN  THE   COVENANTS. 


227 


not  suffer  them  to  encroach  upon  the 
premises  of  their  near  neighbors. 

These  are  called  powers  of  nature 
and  laws  of  nature,  but  they  are  the 
powers  of  that  Supreme  Being  or  Sub- 
stance, whose  dwelling  place  is  nature, 
and  whose  tabernacle  is  the  elements. 
The  great  Architect  of  the  universe  did 
not  construct  the  magnificent  machin- 
ery of  nature,  and  endow  the  materials 
thereof  with  certain  fixed  powers,  and 
then  withdraw  Himself,  or  step  aside 
to  see  the  mighty  fabric  operate.  Un- 
intelligent materials  are  incapable  of 
being  endowed  with  any  kind  of  pow- 
ers, much  less  with  the  wise  and  in- 
telligent powers  that  characterize  the 
workings  of  the  universe.  God  is 
every  moment  in  nature,  and  every 
moment  acts  upon  nature,  and  through 
nature,  the  same  as  the  spirit  of  man 
acts  in,  and  through,  and  upon  the 
tabernacle  of  his  body.  If  God  should 
withdraw  himself  from  nature,  or 
should  cease  to  act  upon  it,  that  por- 
tion of  it.  which  is  without  life  or  in- 
telligence, (if  there  be  any  such  por- 
tion,) would  immediately  cease  all 
action :  and  while  thus  apart  from 
nature  no  laws  could  be  given  to  it 
which  could  be  obeyed  :  no  gravita- 
tive  or  cohesive  tendencies  could  be 
exerted  upon  it ;  no  chemical  com- 
binations or  organic  operations  could 
be  performed ;  or  in  other  words,  un- 
intelligent nature  would  be  entirely 
dead,  and  no  voice  or  power  could 
awake  it,  or  have  the  least  effect  upon 
it,  without  entering  into  it,  and  oper- 
ating upon  it,  and  through  it.  It  is 
only  living  and  intelligent  substances 
that  hear,  and  understand,  and  obey  a 
law.     And  if  unintelligent  nature  ap- 


pear to  act  and  obey  a  law,  it  is  not 
in  reality  the  acts  of  nature,  but  the 
operations  of  a  living,  intelligent  sub- 
stance inhabiting  nature.  Unintelli- 
gent nature  could  no  more  act  than 
the  body  without  the  spirit  could 
act.  Therefore,  all  the  grand  and 
magnificent  movements  of  the  uni- 
verse as  a  whole,  and  all  the  minute 
and  imperceptible  operations  of  its 
particles,  are  the  continued  effects  of 
the  living,  moving,  all-powerful  sub- 
stance diffused  through  the  whole. 
This  all-pervading,  omnipresent  sub- 
stance is  the  Holy  Spirit  existing  in 
inexhaustible  quantities,  and  extending 
through  the  immensity  of  space  :  it  is 
the  light,  and  the  life,  and  the  power 
of  all  things.  To  search  out  the  laws 
of  nature  is  nothing  less  than  search- 
ing out  the  laws  by  which  the  Spirit 
in  nature  operates.  Man  is  contin- 
ually beholding  these  wonderful  oper- 
ations, but  because  he  does  not  behold 
the  acting  agent,  he  ascribes  the  effects 
to  blind,  unintelligent  and  unconscious 
matter  :  as  well  might  he  ascribe  the 
attributes  of  the  divinity  to  a  wooden 
idol.  The  light  shines  all  around  us, 
and  is  manifested  in  an  infinite  variety 
of  wise  and  beneficial  results,  but  so 
great  is  the  darkness  of  man,  that  he 
perceives  not  the  light;  or  as  our  great 
Redeemer  has  said,  ''The  light  shin- 
eth  in  darkness,  but  the  darkness  com- 
prehended! it  not."  Man  is  contin- 
ually experimenting  with  the  powers 
ol'  nature,  but  he  perceives  not  that 
those  very  powers  with  which  he  is 
so  familiar,  are  nothing  less  than  the 
manifestations  of  the  power  of  God 
through  the  elements  which  are  His 
tabernacle. 


EXPLANATION  OF  SUBSTITUTED  NAMES  IN  THE 
COVENANTS. 

BY    THE     EDITOR. 


For  the  edification  of  the  saints  we 
will  give  some  explanation  concerning 
certain  names  in  connection  with  sev- 
eral revelations  in  the  Book  of  Doc- 
trine and  Covenants.     Bv  reference  to 


section  76th,  it  will  be  perceived  that 
the  Lord  gave  a  revelation  to  -'•Enoch  " 
in  relation  to  "  a  permanent  and  ever- 
lasting establishment  and  order''''  for 
the  benefit  of  the  poor.     Many  of  the 


228 


EXPLANATION    OF  NAMES    IN    THE    COVENANTS. 


saints,  unacquainted  with  the  cir- 
cumstances, have  wondered  whether 
the  names,  "Enoch, ''  uGazelam,'n 
"  Ahashdah, "  "  Pe/agoram,  "  &c, 
mentioned  in  that  section,  together 
with  those  of  a  similar  character, 
mentioned  in  sections  87,  94,  97,  99, 
101  and  102,  were  really  ancient  per- 
sonages and  ancient  places  and  things, 
or  those  of  the  present  age.  All  these 
names  have  reference  to  modern  per- 
sons, places  and  things  of  our  day. 
Indeed,  when  these  revelations  were 
first  received  by  the  Prophet  Joseph, 
the  real  names  were  given  :  and  it 
was  not  until  months,  and  in  regard 
to  some  of  them,  even  years,  had 
passed  away,  before  the  names  were 
altered,  and  others  bearing  an  ancient 
appearance  were  substituted. 

We  often  had  access  to  the  manu- 
scripts when  boarding  with  the 
Prophet ;  and  it  was  our  delight  to 
read  them  over  and  over  again,  before 
they  were  printed.  And  so  highly 
were  they  esteemed  by  us,  that  we 
committed  some  to  memory  ;  and  a 
few  we  copied  for  the  purpose  of  ref- 
erence in  our  absence  on  missions ; 
and  also  to  read  them  to  the  saints 
for  their  edification  These  copies 
are  still  in  our  possession.  When  at 
length  the  time  arrived  to  print  the 
manuscripts,  it  was  thought  best  not 
to  publish  them  all,  on  account  of 
our  enemies,  who  were  seeking  every 
means  to  destroy  the  Prophet  and  the 
Church.  On  account,  however,  of 
the  great  anxiety  of  the  church  to  see 
them  in  print,  it  was  concluded, 
through  the  suggestions  of  the  Spirit, 
that  by  altering  the  real  names  given 
in  the  manuscripts,  and  substituting 
fictitious  ones  in  their  stead,  they 
might  thus  safely  appear  in  print  with- 
out endangering  the  welfare  of  the 
individuals  whose  real  names  were  con- 
tained therein.  It  was  by  this  means 
that  several  revelations  were  permit- 
ted to  appear  in  print  in  the  first  edi- 
tion, that  otherwise  would  have  been 
withheld  from  the  knowledge  of  the 
saints,  perhaps  for  many  long  years, 
or  at  least  until  more  favorable  cir- 
cumstances would  have  permitted 
them  to  be  made  public. 


It  may  be  asked,  had  the  Prophet 
a  right  to  alter  names  given  by  reve- 
lation and  substitute  fictitious  ones  in 
their  stead  ?  We  reply,  that  it  is  only 
the  printed  edition  that  contains  the 
substituted  names,  while  the  original 
manuscripts,  that  are  safely  preserved 
in  the  hands  of  the  church,  contain 
the  names  as  they  were  originally 
given.  Moreover,  the  substitution  of 
fictitious  names  for  persons  and  places 
does  not  alter  or  destroy  the  sense  or 
ideas  contained  in  the  revelations. 
But  what  the  Prophet  did  in  relation 
to  this  thing,  was  not  of  himself:  he 
was  dictated  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to 
make  these  substitutions,  for  the  time 
being,  until  it  should  be  wisdom  for 
the  true  names  to  appear.  That  he 
was  thus  inspired  is  certain  from  the 
fact,  that  at  the  very  time  that  he  made 
these  substitutons,  he  also  received 
much  additional  light;  and  by  revela- 
tion line  was  added  upon  line  to  sev- 
eral of  the  sections  and  paragraphs 
about  to  be  published.  But  some 
may  inquire,  are  not  the  Almighty's 
revelations  perfect  when  they  are  first 
given  ?  and  if  so,  where  was  the  pro- 
priety of  the  Lord's  adding  any  thing 
to  them,  when  they  were  already  per- 
fect ?  We  reply  that  every  word  of 
God  is  perfect ;  but  He  does  not  reveal 
all  things  at  once,  but  adds  "  line  up- 
on line,  precept  upon  precept,  here  a 
little,"  and  there  a  little,"  revealing  as 
the  people  are  able  to  bear,  or  as  cir- 
cumstances require.  But  these  were 
not  the  only  revelations  to  which  the 
Lord  has  made  additions  :  for  when 
the  king  of  Judah  burned  the  book  of 
revelations,  which  God  gave  by  the 
mouth  of  Jeremiah,  God  command- 
ed Jeremiah  to  re-write  the  same. 
"  Then  took  Jeremiah  another  roll, 
and  gave  it  to  Baruch  the  scribe,  the 
son  of  Neriah,  who  wrote  therein 
from  the  mouth  of  Jeremiah  all  the 
words  of  the  book  which  Jehoiachim, 
king  of  Judah,  had  burned  in  the  fire  : 
and  there  were  added  besides  unto 
them  many  like  icords."  (Jer.  36  :  32.) 

The  Lord,  therefore,  adds  to  His 
own  revelations  whenever  he  thinks 
proper ;  but  He  has  expressly  forbid- 
den   man    to   make    any   additions. 


EXPLANATION  OF   NAMES   IN  THE   COVENANTS. 


229 


The  high  prerogative  of  adding  to  an 
inspired  revelation  belongs  to  the 
Lord  only :  hence  the  Lord  added  by 
the  mouth  of  Joseph  "  line  upon  line, 
here  a  little  and  there  a  little, "  to 
some  of  the  manuscript  copies  which 
were  about  to  be  published. 

A  similar  thing  transpired  in  ancient 
America.  God  expressly  forbade  the 
Prophet  Mormon  to  write  all  the  rev- 
elations contained  in  the  numerous 
records  of  his  forefathers.  FTe  was 
only  permitted  to  make  a  small  abridg- 
ment, called  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
and  he  states  that  not  one-hundredth 
part  was  permitted  to  be  copied  into 
the  abridgment.  The  Lord  declaring 
to  him  that  he  would  try  the  faith  of 
the  Gentiles  and  of  the  nations  of  the 
latter  times,  to  see  whether  they  would 
receive  this  abridgment;  if  so,  He 
would  give  them  more ;  but  if  not,  He 
would  withhold  the  greater  things  to 
their  condemnation. 

To  add  to  or  diminish  the  light  to 
be  offered  to  a  generation  or  individ- 
ual, is  in  strict  accordance  with  the 
wisdom,  justice  and  mercy  of  God. 
When  a  generation  or  individual  is 
faithful  to  the  light  already  given,  God 
has  promised  to  add  more,  and  will 
cause  that  the  light  shall  grow  brighter 
and  brighter  until  the  perfect  day. 
But  when  men  despise  the  light,  and 
treat  it  with  contempt.  He  will  with- 
hold from  them,  and  diminish  that 
which  they  already  have,  until  their 
minds  become  entirely  enveloped  in 
darkness,  and  they  thus  prepare  "hem- 
selves  to  dwell  with  the  prince  of 
darkness,  and  to  be  cast  into  outer 
darkness,  where  there  is  wailing  and 
gnashing  of  teeth,  and  where  no  ray 
of  heavenly  light  can  penetrate  their 
dark  and  dismal  abode.  This  will  be 
the  fearful  stale  of  the  wicked,  because 
they  love  darkness  rather  than  light, 
and  will  not  come  to  the  light  that 
their  deeds  may  be  reproved. 

As  it  may  be  satisfactory  to  the 
saints  to  know  the  original  names  in 
the  manuscripts  we  here  present  them 
so  far  as  our  memory  serves. 

In  Section  76,  p.  2,  for  "  Enoch  or 
Gazelam  "  read  Joseph  Smith,  Jr. 


Sec.  76.,  p.  2,  for  "  Jlhashdah  "  read 
Newel  K.  Whitney. 

Sec.  76,  p.  2,  for  "  Pelagoram  n 
read  Sidney  Rigdon. 

Sec.  94,  pp.  1,  2,  for  "  Shederlaom- 
ach  :'  read  Frederick  G.  Williams. 

Sec.  97,  p.  2,  for  lw  Zombre  "  read 
John  Johnson. 

Sec.  97,  p.  2,  for  "  Seth "  read 
Joseph. 

Sec.  99,  p.  3,  for  «  Tahhanes " 
read  "The  Tannery,  (or '' The  Tan 
Yard. ") 

Sec.  99,  p.  3,  for  "  Shinehah  "  read 
Kirtland. 

Sue.  99,  p.  5,  for  "  OHhah  "  read 
Oliver  Cowdery. 

Sec.  99,  p.  5,  for  "  Laneshine- 
kouse  "  read  printing  office. 

Sec.  99,  p.  7,  for  "  Ozondak  "  read 
store. 

Sec.  99,  p.  7,  for  «  Shule  "  read 
ashery. 

Sec.  99,  p.  10,  for  «  Shinelah  "  read 
print. 

Sec.  99,  p.  1 1,  for  «  SMnelane  " 
read  printing. 

Sec.  99,  p.  12.  for  «  Talents  "  read 
dollars. 

Sec.  99,  p.  13,  for  "  Cainhannoch" 
read  New  York. 

Sec.  101,  p.  4,  for  "  Baurak  Ale  " 
read  Joseph  Smith,  Jr. 

Sec.  102,  p.  8,  for  "  Baneemy  "  read 
Sidney  Rigdon. 

in  Section  87,  paragraph  4,  there 
occur  five  names,  viz  :  Alam,  Ma- 
halaleel,  Horah,  Shalemanasseh  and 
Mehemson.  But  we  have  forgotten 
the  individuals  whom  they  represent ; 
the  original  manuscripts  being  in  Utah, 
we  are  unable  at  present  to  gratify  the 
desires  of  the  saints  in  pointing  out 
the  individuals  for  whom  they  stand. 

As  the  circumstances  have  changed 
since  the  substitution  of  those  ficti- 
tious names,  we  do  not  apprehend 
that  any  danger  can  arise  from  a  re- 
storation of  the  original  ones.  And 
we  should  be  most  happy  to  see  them 
as  th  y  stand  in  the  manuscripts  in 
the  future  editions  of  the  "  Doctrine 
and  Covenants," 


230 


RETORT  OF    THE    ST.   LOUIS  CONFERENCE. 


REPORT  OF  THE  ST.  LOUIS  CONFERENCE, 

HELD  IN  CONCERT  HALL,  MARKET   STREET,  ST.  LOUIS,  MO. 

January  1,  1854. 

This  meeting  was  called  to  order  about  IO5,  A.  M.,  and  opened  with  prayer 
by  President  H.  S.  Eldredge.  It  was  moved  that  H.  S.  Eldredge  preside  over, 
and  J.  S.  Cantwell   act  as  clerk  of  ihe  Conference;  carried  unanimously. 

The  President  requested  each  presiding  elder  to  give  his  own  report.  After 
a  few  remarks  the  representations  were  called  for,  and  were  as  follows  : 


i   2  1 
2    l?w 

£ 

H 
a 

a 
0 

CO 

K 

No. 

Branch. 

Represented  by, 

<e 

ix 

a. 
3 

Priests 

1 

N 

a 

35' 

Cut  off. 

Died. 

1 

' 

■ 

' 



— 

— 

0. 

CD 



JCity  of  St.  Louis 

1 



1   1  1st  Wnrd. 

iWilliam  Field, 

63 

8 

6 

1 

2 

1 

6 

4 

2 

0  '   0          a 

jVVilliam  Fleming, 

!     96 

9 

3 

5 

1 

17 

1 

3     3        " 

James  S.  Ballinger, 

:  i4t 

3 

13 

13 

5 

7 

21 

5 

3 

4     4        " 

William  Gore, 

iX 

2 

4 

16 

9 

7 

2 

6 

14 

1 

5 

5  15        " 

i.Toseph  Barker, 

15C 

3 

11 

11 

3 

1 

3 

51 

1 

5 

6  j  6        " 

{.lames  S.  Cantvvell, 

301 

1 

3 

36 

27 

14 

7 

10 

50 

6 

6 

7    Gravois, 

j  James  Wood, 

1  134 

21 

6 

6 

1 

8  'Alton,  111, 

Willinm  M.  Batts, 

j  12l 

1 

13 

8 

5 

« 

7 

13 

2 

9  [Bellefontaine, 

jThomas  Brindley, 

15 

2 

1 

1 

] 

1 

2 

10    Pecan,  Ark.. 

Letter, 

K- 

0 

1 

1 

11  (Calhoun,  III., 

Letter, 

t 

1 

1 

12    Dry  Hill, 

William  Giltings, 

2! 

2 

3 

2 

1 

1 

9 

13    Scattered, 

Various 

7< 

1 

(supposahle.) 

14 

Keokuk, 

H.  S.  Eldredge. 

101 

1             Total, 

138J 

3 

16 

135 

87 

48 

17 

45 

159 

33 

24 

The  representations  being  through,  the  President  made  some  remarks  rel- 
ative to  the  Bellefontaine  branch,  (and  in  consequence  of  the  reduction  of  it 
by  removals,)  it  was  proposed  to  disorganize  and  arid  it  to  the  sixth  ward 
in  St.  Louis  ;  carried. 

The  following  resolutions  were  sustained  by  unanimous  vote : 

First.  That  we  uphold  and  sustain  Brigham  Young  as  President,  Prophet, 
Seer  and  Revelator,  over  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints  in 
all  the  earth. 

Second.  Heber  C.  Kimball  and  Willard  Richards  as  his  counsellors. 

Third.  The  quorum  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  with  Orson  Hyde  as  their 
President. 

Fourth.  All  the  various  organizations  of  the  priesthood,  in  all  the  earth, 
sustained  by  the  authorities  in  Zion. 

Fifth.  Orson  Pratt  as  President  over  the  Saints  in  the  United  States  and 
British  Provinces  of  America. 

Elder  J.  S.  Ballinger  moved  that  we  sustain  and  uphold  Horace  S.  Eldredge 
as  President  over  the  St.  Louis  Conference ;  carried. 

The  President  moved  to  acknowledge  Elder  James  S.  Cantwell  as  clerk  of 
the  St.  Louis  Conference,  and  Treasurer  of  the  branch  ;  carried. 

The  following  Elders  were  sustained,  by  unanimous,  vote  over  their 
branches  : 

William  Field,  President  of  the  First  Ward. 
William  Fleming,  "  Second  " 

James  S.  Ballinger,        "  Third,    « 


EDITORIAL.  231 

William  Gore,  President  of  the  Fourth  " 
Joseph  Barker,  "  Fifth      « 

John  A.  James,  "  Sixth      " 

Thomas  Bradshaw,       "  Gravois. 

John  Donaldson,  "  Alton. 

William  Gittings,  "  Dry  Hill. 

Elder  Samuel  J.  Lees  moved  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Joseph  Seel,  as  leader  of 
the  choir,  and  to  the  singers  under  his  tuition,  for  their  attention  and  effi- 
cient services  in  St.  Louis  Branch  ;  carried. 

The  Conference  adjourned  in  the  usual  way  until  2|  P.  M. 

Conference  resumed  at  2*  ;  after  prayer,  &c,  the  President  called  on  the 
various  officers  present  to  stand  up,  who  being  counted  by  the  clerk,  were 
found  to  be  Seventies,  4;  Elders,  33  ;  Priests,  6  ;  Teachers,  11 ;  Deacons,  4. 
Total,  58. 

The  sacrament  and  blessing  of  children  being  attended  to,  the  President 
called  on  Elder  Win.  M.  Batts,  of  Alton,  to  address  the  meeting;  who  made 
a  few  appropriate  remarks  on  the  subject  of  Unity  and  Theocracy. 

Tlie  meeting  adjourned  until  seven  o'clock. 

In  the  evening  the  Saints  were  addressed  by  Elder  Samuel  J.  Lees,  on  the 
subject  of  Spiritual  Rappings,  and  other  manifestations  of  the  powers  of  dark- 
ness, from  the  6th  chapter  of  the  Ephesians,  12th  verse.  It  was  a  plain, 
powerful,  pointed  discourse;  at  the  conclusion  of  which,  the  President  ex- 
horted the  saints  to  take  heed  unto  themselves,  and  to  the  advice  given  them 
in  Elder  Lees'  discourse. 

The  conference  elosed  about  8|  P.  M. 

HORACE  S.  ELDREDGE,  President. 

James  S.  Cantwell,  Clerk. 


EDITORIAL 


Perpetual  Emigrating  Funp. —   For  where  poverty  reigns,  liberality 
It  is  now  about  fifteen  months  since   abounds, 
the   saints  in  our  field  of  labor  were  


requested  to  forward  their  contribu-  i  Tithing. — God  has,  through  reve- 
tions  to  this  fund.  During  this  inter-  lation  by  the  mouth  of  his  servant, 
val,  only  one  small  branch  in  the  Joseph,  the  Prophet,  commanded  his 
United  States  and  British  Provinces  j  saints  to  donate  one-tenth  part  of  all 
have  responded  to  the  call.  This  their  property  to  the  church,  as  tith- 
branch  is  located  at  Haverstraw,  New  ing.  The  observance  of  this  law  en- 
York.  They  have  contributed  in  all  ables  us  to  distinguish  between  those 
thirty -three  dollars  and  fifty-six  cents.  I  who  are  in  reality  saints,  and  those 
If  the  saints  continue  to  be  as  liberal  |  who  merely  have  the  name  :  for  sure- 
as  they  have  been  during  the  past  fif-  j  ly  those  who  refuse  to  keep  the  plain 
teen  months,  we  are  in  hopes  in  about  and  positive  commandments  of  God 
two  years,  from  this  time,  to  be  able  cannot  be  called  saints.  Now,  in 
to  send  one  person  to  Utah.  The  looking  over  our  tithing  book  we  find 
saints  in  England,  through  their  dona-  that  twelve  persons  in  the  United 
tions  to  this  fund,  send  off  hundreds  States  and  British  Provinces  have  paid 
to  Zion  annually.  What  a  contrast !  ;  tithing  during  the  last  fifteen  months. 
Can  any  one  assign  a  reason  for  this  j  The  sum  total  of  what  these  twelve 
difference  ?  May  it  not  be  owing  to  j  have  paid,  amounts  to  one  hundred 
the   poverty    of  the  English   saints  ? !  and    twelve    dollars    and     forty-five 


232 


EDITORIAL. 


cents.  If  these  twelve  persons  have 
paid  one-tenth  part  of  what  they  pos- 
sess, then  they  have  kept  the  com- 
mandment, and  there  is  good  reason, 
so  far  as  this  law  is  concerned,  to  be- 
lieve them  to  be  saints.  There  may 
be,  perhaps,  a  very  few  others  whose 
names  have  not  reached  us  that  have 
paid  their  tithing  to  other  authorized 
agents.  Be  this  as  it  may,  we  still 
think  it  a  matter  of  rejoicing  that  there 
are  hcelm  saints  in  the  United  States 
and  British  Provinces  under  our  juris- 
diction. These  are  four  more  than 
what  there  were  in  the  whole  world 
in  the  days  of  Noah.  We  would 
say  to  these  twelve,  get  out  from  this 
wicked  nation  as  soon  as  you  can,  for 
we  know  not  the  day  nor  the  hour 
when  God  will  visit  them  according 
to  the  threatening  in  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon. Should  there  be  any  others, 
besides  these  twelve,  who  are  almost 
persuaded  to  be  saints,  we  say  to 
them,  comply  with  the  law  of  God, 
and  pay  your  tithing,  otherwise  you 
can  receive  no  inheritance  among  the 
saints,  and  your  names  will  not  be 
found  recorded  in  the  book  of  the 
names  of  the  righteous.  For  thus 
saith  the  prophet,  Joseph  Smith : 

"  It  is  contrary    to  the    will   and 
commandment  of  God,  ihat  those  who 
receive  not  their  inheritance  by  con- 
secration agreeably  to  His  law,  which 
He  has  given,  that  He  may  tithe  His 
people,  to  prepare  them  against    the 
day  of  vengeance  and  burning,  should 
have  their  names    enrolled  with    the 
people  of  God  ;  neither  is  their  gene- 
alogy to  be  kept,  or  to  be  had  where 
it  may  be  found  on  any  of  the  records 
or  history  of  the  church  ;  their  names 
shall  not  be  found,  neither  the  names 
of  the  fathers,  nor  the  names  of  the 
children    written  in  the  book  of  the 
law  of  God,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts. 
Yea,  thus  saith  the  still  small  voice, 
which  whispereth  through  andpierceth 
all  things,  and  often  times  it  maketh 
my    bones  to    quake  while   it   mak- 
eth   manifest,  saying:     And  it  shall 
come   to  pass  that  I,  the  Lord  God, 
will     send  one    mighty    and    strong, 
holding  the  sceptre  of  power  in  his 
hand,  clothed  with  light  for  a  cover- 


ing, whose  mouth  shall  utter  words  : 
eternal  words  ;  while  his  bowels  shall 
be  a  fountain  of  truth,  to  set  in  order 
the  house  of  God,  and  to  arrange  by 
lot  the  inheritances  of  the  saints 
whose  names  are  found,  and  the  names 
of  their  fathers,  and  of  their  children, 
enrolled  in  the  book  of  the  law  of 
God  :  while  that  man  who  was  called 
of  God  and  appointed,  that  putteth 
forth  his  hand  to  steady  the  ark  of 
God  shall  fall  by  the  shaft  of  death 
like  as  a  tree  that  is  smitten  by  the 
vivid  shaft  of  lightning ;  and  all  they 
who  are  not  found  written  in  the  book 
of  remembrance,  shall  find  none  in- 
heritance in  that  day,  but  they  shall 
be  cut  asunder,  and  their  portion  shall 
be  appointed  them  among  unbelievers, 
where  is  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 
These  things  I  say  not  of  myself, 
therefore,  as  the  Lord  speaketh,  He 
will  also  fulfil.  And  they  who  are 
of  the  High  Priesthood,  whose  names 
are  not  found  written  in  the  book  of 
the  law,  or  that  are  found  to  have 
apostatized,  or  to  have  been  cut  out 
of  the  church,  as  well  as  the  lesser 
priesthood,  or  the  members,  in  that 
day  shall  not  find  an  inheritance  among 
the  saints  of  the  Most  High  ;  therefore, 
it  shall  be  done  unto  them  as  unto 
the  children  of  the  Priest,  as  you  will 
find  recorded  in  the  second  chapter, 
and  sixty-first  and  second  verses  of 
Ezra."  (Given  Nov.  27th,  1832;  pub- 
lished in  the  "  Millennial  Star,  "  page 
284  vol.  14.) 

And  again  the  Lord  says,  "  Be- 
hold, now  it  is  called  to-day,  (until 
the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man,)  and 
verily  it  is  a  day  of  sacrifice,  and  a 
day  for  the  tithing  of  my  people  ;  for 
he  that  is  tithed  shall  not  be  burned 
(at  His  coming ; )  for  after  to-day 
cometh  the  burning  :  this  is  speaking 
after  the  manner  of  the  Lord ;  for 
verily  I  say,  to-morrow  all  the  proud 
and  they  that  do  wickedly  shall  be  as 
stubble  ;  and  I  will  burn  them  up,  for 
I  am  the  Lord  of  Hosts  :  and  I  will 
not  spare  any  that  remain  in  Baby- 
lon. "  (Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sec. 
21,  p.  5.) 

In  these  extracts  we  can  learn  who 
they  are  that  will  be  counted  worthy 


REPENTANCE. 


233 


to  receive  an  inheritance  among  the 
righteous  :  it  will  be  those  whose 
names  are  found  in  the  records  and 
history  of  the  church,  and  in  the  law 
of  God,  as  having  tithed  themselves, 
and  attended  to  all  the  other  com- 
mandments and  laws  of  God  :  while 
the  names  of  the  fathers  and  of  the 
children  of  all  others,  will  perish  with 
them,  and  their  genealogy  not  be  re- 
membered. Such,  therefore,  cannot 
in  reality  be  saints,  though  they  may 
have  the  name  of  saints.  We  were  in 
hopes,  when  we  entered  our  field  of 
labor,  to  have  found  more  than  twelve 
saints  in  the  whole  nation ;  but,  per- 
haps, we  may  yet  have  the  pleasure 
of  entering  on  record  a  few  more. 


Emigration  to  Utah. — Are  there 
many  saints  going  to  Utah  this  sea- 
son ? 

There  will  most  probably  be  from 
three  to  four  thousand  from  Great 
Britain,  and  a  few  hundred  from  other 
European  Governments,  and  some 
small  companies  from  the  states  and 
provinces  of  this  country. 

Where  will  the  most  of  these  com- 
panies concentrate  themselves  pre- 
paratory to  their  departure  over  the 
plains  ? 

At  St.  Louis,  where,  by  application 
to  Gen.  H.  S.  Eldredge,  they  can  pro- 
cure provisions  and  other  necessaries 
for  the  outfit,  at  the  whole-ale  prices, 
and  thus  save  much  expense. 

Which  way  will  they  proceed  from 
St.  Louis  ? 

It  has  been  indicated  by  President 
Eldredge  tha;  they  would  go  by  steam- 
boat  up  the  Missouri  river  to  Kansas, 
or  some  of  the  other  towns  on  the 
western  frontier,  and  thence  take  their 
departure  for  the  plains. 

Where  do  the  saints  generally  pur- 
chase their  wagons  and  teams  ? 


The  wagons  are  mostly  purchased 
at  St.  Louis,  although  some  procure 
them  at  Cincinnati.  They  cost  from 
,*>60  to  $75,  according  to  the  quality. 
These  are  generally  shipped  on  steam- 
boats to  the  point  of  rendezvous  for 
the  plains.  The  freight  will  be  from 
$8  to  $12  per  wagon,  according  to 
t he  distance  and  stage  of  water.  Cat- 
tle will  be  from  $50  to  $80  per  yoke. 
Companies  of  saints  generally  appoint 
gool,  faithful,  trusty  agents,  to  whom 
they  entrust  their  funds  and  send  them 
on,  some  few  weeks  in  advance,  to 
purchase  cattle  and  drive  them  to  the 
point  where  they  are  wanted,  at  some 
definite  specified  time,  agreed  upon  by 
the  company. 

What  quantity  of  provisions  are 
required  for  the  outfit? 

About  200  lbs.  to  each  individual. 

What  will  be  the  cost  of  freight 
from  St.  Louis  up  the  Missouri  river  ? 

From  $1  to  $2  per  hundred. 

At  what  time  will  the  companies 
leave  the  settlements  ? 

They  will  begin  to  leave  about  the 
middle  of  May.  or  as  soon  as  the 
grass  is  up  sufficiently  to  sustain  their 
animals ;  and  they  will  continue  to 
leave  every  few  days  from  that  time 
until  about  the  1st  of  July. 

What  time  is  required  for  ox  teams 
to  perform  the  journey  ? 

From  twelve  to  fifteen  weeks. 

What  amount  of  team  is  required 
per  ton  ? 

Two  yoke  of  oxen  and  one  yoke 
of  cows  :  some  go  with  less. 

Those  who  are  not  able  to  furnish 
wagons  sufficient  to  accommodate 
their  families  for  lodging,  should 
supply  themselves  with  tents  at  St. 
Louis. 

What  is  the  cost  of  freight  from  St. 
Louis  to  Salt  Lake  city  ? 

From  $12  to  $14  per  hundred. 


REPENTANCE. 

BY    THE     EDITOR. 

(  Continued.) 


But  how  is  it  with  this  generation,  the  present.  The  spirit  prevails  among 
in  regard  to  making  and  loving  lies  ?  all  classes,  both  the  high  and  the  low, 
It  is  doubtful  whether  there  ever  were  '  the  infidel  and  the  professed  Christian  ; 
a  generation  so  addicted  to  lying  as  I  all,    with    very  few    exceptions,  are 


234 


REPENTANCE. 


given,  either  to  make  lies,    or  love 
them  after  they  are  made.    When  God 
sent  a  great  prophet  to  this  generation 
to  reveal  to  them  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, as  the  great  and  last  warning 
message,  preparatory  to  the  revelation 
of  his  Son  from  the  heavens  to  exe- 
cute vengeance  upon  the  wicked  and 
ungodly,    how     was     the    message 
treated  ?     We  reply  that  the  people 
began  immediately  to  lie  about  it ;  and 
they  have  kept  up  this  lying  from  that, 
time  until  the  present.     One  would 
declare  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  was 
originated   in   one    way ;  another,  in 
another;    one   making   this   lie,   and 
another  that ;  and  the  printing  press 
has  groaned  under  the  weight  of  false- 
hood, published  to  prevent  the  people 
from   repenting  according  to  the  re- 
quirements of  this  message.     Pamph- 
lets have  followed  pamphlets,  and  vol- 
umes have  succeeded  volumes  to  blind 
the  minds  of  the  people,  and  harden 
their  hearts  against  the  only  message 
by  which  they  can  possibly  be  saved, 
either  in  this  world,  or  in  the  world 
to  come.     Two  of  the  most  powerful 
engines  that  the  father  of  lies  has  used 
to  circulate  these  falsehoods,  are  the 
priests  and  editors.  These  have  greed- 
ily snatched  up  falsehoods  of  every 
description,  and  of  the  blackest  char- 
acter, and  multiplied  millions  on  mil- 
1  ons   of  copies  and  sent  them  with 
the  rapidity  of  the  steam  car  to  the 
four  winds  of  heaven  :  while  the  long- 
faced   and   professedly    pious    priests 
have  reiterated  these  lies  from  the  pul- 
pit,  and    warned   their  congregations 
with  many  pious  groans  and  hypocrit- 
ical tears  to  beware  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  and  to  reject  it  without  any 
investigation,  and  to  cast  out  the  ser- 
vants of  God  from  their  houses,  and 
not  listen  to  them  for  a  moment,  but 
reject  them  as  imposters,  untried  and 
unproved.     These  lies  have  had  their 
desired  effect,  to  shut    up    churches 
and   meeting-houses,   and   close    the 
doors  and  hearts  of  the  people  against 
God's  servants,  and  the  great  message 
of   repentance  which   God    has  sent 
them  to  proclaim.     In  this  thing  the 
"  father  of  lies"  is  made  glad,  and  the 
hosts  of  darkness  rejoice  with  a  hell- 


ish exultation,  in  the  prospects  of 
reaping  an  abundant  harvest  of  souls, 
whom  they  have  deceived  by  their 
lies,  and  whom  their  priests  have  de- 
luded by  their  hypocrisy. 

The  persons  who  invented  these 
lies  against  the  servants  of  God,  and 
against  the  divine  message  of  repent- 
ance, contained  in  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, are  not  the  only  ones  who 
are  guilty  ;  they  are  not  the  only  ones 
who  will  be  punished  in  the  lake  of 
fire  as  liars ;  but  all  who  have  pub- 
lished these  lies,  and  all  who  have 
loved  to  read  and  hear  them,  will  share 
the  same  fate.  The  lover  of  lies  is 
equally  as  guilty  as  the  maker  ;  hence, 
they  both  go  to  the  same  place,  and 
both  suffer  the  second  death,  unless 
they  repent. 

It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  reject  a 
prophet  of  God,  or  a  servant  of  God, 
or  a  revelation  of  God  ;  and  especially 
to  reject  a  message,  so  infinitely  im- 
portant as  the  one  which  God  has 
given  in  the  Book  of  Mormon :  and 
the  devil  knows  that  he  is  sure  of  the 
people  if  he  can  only  make  them  re- 
ject it ;  and  hence  his  untiring  exer- 
tions in  the  invention  of  all  manner 
of  falsehoods  to  accomplish  his  ma- 
licious and  hellish  object. 

But,  it  may  be  inquired,  how  are 
the  humble,  honest  souls  to  discern 
between  truth  and  falsehood  ?  Must 
they  be  condemned  with  liars,  because 
they  are  deceived  with  lies  ?  We 
answer,  that  all  will  be  condemned 
who  sutler  themselves  to  be  deceived  : 
for  there  is  a  way  for  every  person  to 
come  to  the  light  of  truth  ;  and  it  is 
not  in  the  power  of  the  devil  to  in- 
vent lies  so  plausible  as  to  prevent  the 
really  honest  person  from  discover- 
ing the  truth  that  pertains  to  his  sal- 
vation. The  scriptures  have  expressly 
declared,  that  "cursed  is  he  that 
putteth  his  trust  in  man  or  niaketh 
flesh  his  arm."  Now  any  person  who 
will  put  his  confidence  and  trust  in 
popular  lies,  invented  by  the  devil  to 
prevent  the  people  from  discovering 
the  truth,  must  rest  under  that  curse, 
and  in  the  day  of  judgment  be  con- 
demned with  liars.  What  excuse  can 
any  one  have  for  rejecting  the  truth, 


REPENTANCE. 


235 


because  the  tlevil  has  made  lies,  and 
neatly  all  mankind  believe  them  ?  The 
scriptures  inform  us  that  we  are  to 
"  prove  all  things  and  hold  fast  that 
which  is  good."  There  must  be  some 
infallible  rule  by  which  to  prove  things 
and  discern  the  good  from  the  evil,  or 
else  we  never  should  have  been  ex- 
horted to  do  so.  This  infallible  test 
by  which  to  discover  the  truth,  is  the 
light  which  God  has  already  given  us, 
and  which  He  will  give  us  if  we  will 
but  properly  seek  after  it.  But  when 
a  person  suffers  himself  to  be  blinded 
by  the  lies  of  uninspired  men,  so  far 
as  to  close  his  doors  and  his  heart 
against  investigation,  and  rejects  the 
message  of  heaven  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon  upon  popular  rumor,  or  be- 
cause his  minister  rejects  it,  he  is 
justly  condemned  for  suffering  him- 
self to  be  thus  imposed  upon,  and  led 
about  by  the  precepts  of  those  who 
he  knows  do  not  even  profess  to  be 
inspired  of  God.  He  is  putting  his 
trust  in  man  and  making  flesh  his 
arm,  the  moment  that  he  suffers  others 
to  judge  for  him  in  matters  so  infi- 
nitely important,  involving  the  salva- 
tion of  his  soul  :  therefore,  he  is 
cursed  of  God,  and  will  die  and  go  to 
hell,  unless  he  repents,  notwithstand- 
ing his  apparent  honesty.  Therefore, 
no  man,  nor  woman,  nor  child  that 
has  come  to  the  years  of  accounta- 
bility, can  be  justified,  for  one  mo- 
ment, in  rejecting  God's  revealed  will, 
contained  in  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
and  especially  if  they  never  have 
placed  themselves  in  a  position  to  in- 
vestigate those  divine  truths. 

But,  replies  one,  many  tens  of 
thousands  in  the  United  States  know 
nothing  of  the  contents  of  that  Book, 
having  never  seen  it,  and  all  that  they 
have  heard  is,  that  it  professes  to  be 
a  divine  revelation ;  are  they,  there- 
fore to  be  condemned  in  their  ignor- 
ance ?  We  answer,  that  they  have 
not  the  least  excuse  for  their  ignor- 
ance. There  is  not  a  person  in  the 
nation  but  what  might  have  had  the 
volume,  if  he  had  felt  disposed  to  in- 
vestigate its  divine  origin.  It  is  now 
nearly  twenty-four  years  since  the 
book  was  first  published  among  them ; 


and  during  tins  interval,  there  have 
been  printing  presses  enough  in  ope- 
ration to  have  supplied  a  copy  to  every 
individual  in  all  the  world.  Aud  if 
they  had  been  called  for,  they  would 
have  been  supplied  at  a  moderate 
price.  Therefore,  those  who  have 
not  supplied  themselves  with  a  copy, 
and  have  not  put  themselves  in  a  way 
to  prove  the  divinity  of  the  message, 
have  no  excuse  for  their  ignorance. 
The  lies  that  are  in  circulation  against 
God's  holy  word,  revealed  in  these 
last  days,  will  not  shield  them  from 
the  justice  of  the  Almighty  in  the 
great  day  of  the  Lord  which  is  fast 
hastening.  If  they  had  loved  the 
truth,  as  much  as  they  have  loved  the 
lies  against  it,  they  would  have  sought 
after  it  and  used  a  little  exertion  to 
obtain  it.  But  no,  the  truth  is  far 
from  them,  and  they  love  the  precepts 
of  uninspired  men  in  preference  to  that 
which  comes  from  heaven.  "They 
have  made  lies  their  refuge  and  under 
falsehood  have  hid  themselves;"  there- 
fore, they  shall  receive  the  portion  of 
liars  in  the  great  judgment,  and  with 
them  be  cast  into  the  same  lake,  un- 
less they  repent. 

But  it  will  be  a  very  difficult  mat- 
ter for  some  of  those  who  have  pub- 
lished lies  to  repent.  For  instance, 
many  editors  of  newspapers  have  been 
instruments  in  the  hands  of  the  devil 
of  publishing  a  vast  amount  of  the 
blackest  kind  of  falsehoods  against 
the  truth,  and  against  the  few  honest, 
humble  souls  who  have  received  it. 
By  the  wholesale  circulation  of  these 
falsehoods,  they  have  stirred  up  the 
people  to  mobs  and  riots,  and  to  shed 
the  blood  of  the  innocent.  Though 
it  might  be  within  their  power  to  re- 
pent and  make  restitution  in  part,  yet 
they  never  could  counteract  fully  the 
vast  amount  of  injury  which  they 
have  done.  They  might  use  their  pa- 
pers as  extensively  in  publishing  the 
truths  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  as 
they  have  in  publishing  lies  against  it 
and  the  Saints,  and  thus  endeavor  to 
counteract  the  evils  that  they  have 
done;  but  they  can  never  recall  the 
innocent  from  their  graves  whom  they 
have  been  indirectly  the  cruel  instru- 


236 


REPENTANCE. 


ments    of  having   murdered,  by  the 

wicked  and  malicious  lies  which  they 
have  so  extensively  circulated.  Such, 
therefore,  will  find  it  hard  4to  repent ; 
yet,  even  these  may  have  been,  in 
some  instances,  swayed  by  popular 
prejudices,  and  led  to  do  many  things 
in  their  ignorance  against  the  truth, 
against  God,  and  against  his  people, 
of  which,  it  may  be  possible,  as  in 
the  case  of  Paul,  for  them  to  obtain 
forgiveness  and  salvation  by  receiving 
the  truth,  and  hereafter  devoting  all 
their  energies  to  print,  and  publish, 
and  spread  forth  the  same.  But  do 
what  they  may  to  recover  themselves, 
and  make  restitution,  they  will  always 
have  it  to  regret,  that  they  have  ever 
written  or  printed  any  thing  against  so 
great  and  glorious  a  message  as  the 
one  revealed  in  the  opening  of  this 
last  dispensation.  But  if  we  could 
see  any  symptoms  of  repentance  and 
reformation  on  their  part,  we  would 
gladly  take  them  by  the  hand,  and  try 
to  raise  them  up,  and  encourage  them 
in  the  mighty  struggle  to  recover 
themselves  from  the  great  and  multi- 
plied evils  that  they  have  done  through 
the  medium  of  the  press. 

What  evils  lies  have  done  in  our 
world  !  It  was  through  the  lies  of 
the  Devil  that  our  first  parents  were 
persuaded  to  partake  of  the  forbidden 
fruit ;  it  was  through  the  lies  invented 
by  the  wicked  that  the  holy  prophets 
were  rejected  by  the  respective  gene- 
rations to  whom  they  were  sent. 
Hence  our  Saviour  says  to  his  disci- 
ples, "  Blessed  are  ye  when  men 
shall  speak  all  manner  of  evil  against 
you  falsely  for  my  sake ;  for  so  did 
they  of  the  prophets  who  were  before 
you."  All  prophets  and  inspired  men 
were  lied  about,  and  the  people  were 
persuaded  through  these  lies  to  reject 
the  only  means  of  their  salvation.  It 
was  through  liars  and  false  witnesses 
that  the  Saviour  of  the  world  was 
condemned  to  be  crucified ;  it  was 
through  the  testimony  of  false  wit- 
nesses that  the  Jews  have,  from  gen- 
eration to  generation,  continued  to 
reject  Jesus  of  Nazareth  as  the  true 
Messiah  ;  it  was  through  lying  that 
they  were  persuaded  to  believe  that 


his  disciples  came  and  stole  his  body 
from  the  tomb.  Through  lies  mil- 
lions at  the  present  day  believe  that 
the  great  Prophet  of  God,  Joseph 
Smith,  was  an  imposter.  Through 
the  belief  of  lies  millions  in  ancient 
times  were  destroyed  from  the  earth 
and  sent  down  to  hell ;  and  through 
the  reliance  which  this  generation 
place  in  newspaper  reports,  and  the 
lies  invented  against  the  Book  of 
Mormon  and  the  Saints,  millions 
more  will  be  swept  off,  and  their  por- 
tion assigned  them  in  the  "  lake  which 
burnetii  with  fire  and  brimestone, " 
in  company  with  ancient  liars  and 
those  who  loved  the  same. 

Some  lies  are  much  more  wicked 
than  others,  and  calculated  to  do  in- 
finitely more  harm.  To  lie  for  the 
purpose  of  cheating  your  neighbor — 
to  lie  so  as  to  injure  the  character  of 
any  one — to  lie  for  the  purpose  of 
punishing  the  innocent,  or  screening 
the  guilty,  are  very  great  evils.  But 
when  compared  with  lies  against  a 
divine  message  sent  from  heaven,  they 
dwindle  into  insignificancy.  In  the 
former  cases,  the  lies  are  against 
men ;  in  the  latter  they  are  against 
God.  In  the  former  they  injure  their 
neighbor  temporally ;  in  the  latter 
they  injure  him  spiritually  by  blinding 
his  mind  against  the  truth,  and  that 
too,  against  the  only  truth  by  which 
he  can  be  saved.  Lies,  therefore, 
against  a  revelation  which  God  gives 
for  the  salvation  of  a  generation,  will 
be  considered  in  the  day  of  judgment 
as  an  evil  of  very  great  magnitude, 
and  the  punishment  will  be  in  pro- 
portion. 

We  have  now  pointed  out  three 
very  great  evils  of  which  this  nation 
in  particular  are  very  guilty  before 
God.  These  evils  are,  first,  the  mur- 
der of  the  prophets  and  saints  of  God, 
and  the  sanctioning  of  the  same,  by 
letting  the  murderers  go  unpunished, 
and  permitting  them  to  boast  of  their 
bloody  deeds  in  the  most  public  man- 
ner. Second,  the  hundreds  of  thous- 
ands of  public  prostitutes,  which  they 
permit  to  commit  crimes  of  the  most 
abominable  nature,  in  all  the  large 
cities  and  towns  throughout  the  land, 


REPENTANCE. 


237 


without  taking  efficient  measures  by 
legislative  action  to  suppress  them. 
And,  third,  the  great  sin  of  lying 
against  what  God  has  revealed  in  the 
Book  of  Mormon  for  the  salvation  of 
the  nations,  to  prepare  them  for  the 
coming  of  his  Son.  These  are  three 
of  the  most  prominent  evils  of  which 
this  nation  must  most  heartily  repent, 
if  they  would  escape  the  threatened 
evils  with  which  they  will  otherwise 
most  assuredly  be  visited. 

Another  evil  of  no  small  magnitude 
is  the  vast  amount  of  false  doctrines 
which  are  taught,  and  extensively 
believed,  and  practiced  throughout 
Christendom.  Doctrines  which  are 
calculated  to  ruin  the  soul,  are,  in 
some  respects,  greater  evils  than  those 
which  merely  have  a  bearing  upon 
our  temporal  interests.  A  man  who, 
through  dishonesty,  defrauds  his 
neighbor  of  his  property,  and  brings 
distress  and  temporal  ruin  upon  his 
family,  is  exceedingly  guilty  before 
God,  and  will,  if  he  repent  not  and 
make  no  restitution,  be  severely  pun- 
ished ;  but  how  much  greater  will  be 
the  condemnation  and  punishment  of 
that  man  who,  through  his  cunning 
craftiness,  palms  upon  his  neighbor  a 
false  doctrine  which  is  calculated  to 
ruin  him  and  his  family,  not  tempor- 
ally, but  eternally !  Thieves  and 
robbers  are  less  guilty  before  God 
than  such  false  teachers. 

We  will  now  mention  some  of 
these  soul-destroying  doctrines  that 
are  taught  in  Christendom,  and  which 
millions  have  had  the  wickedness  to 
believe.  First.  These  false  teachers 
have  had  the  presumption  to  deny  the 
necessity  of  continued  revelation  from 
God,  and  have  actually,  in  direct 
opposition  to  the  Bible,  persuaded 
whole  nations  to  believe  in  this  ruin- 
ous and  impious  doctrine.  The  great 
wickedness  of  this  doctrine  will  ap- 
pear when  we  reflect  that  it  strikes  a 
deadly  blow  against  Christianity  and 
against  the  religion  of  the  Bible. 
This  fearful  delusion  was  invented 
soon  after  the  apostles  fell  asleep  by 
a  set  of  corrupt,  vile  apostates,  who 
had  so  far  departed  from  God  that 
they  could  not  get  any  communica- 


tion from  Him ;  and  fearing  that  the 
more  honest  portions  of  mankind 
would  discover  a  great  contrast  be- 
tween their  apostate  condition  and 
the  condition  of  the  true  Church, 
which  was  always,  without  one  ex- 
ception, blessed  with  prophets  and  in- 
spired men,  they  concluded  to  use  all 
their  sophistry  and  cunning  to  per- 
suade the  people  that  they  already 
had  enough  revelation,  and  that  they 
needed  no  further  communication 
from  heaven.  If  they  could  only  get 
the  people  to  believe  this  strong  de- 
lusion, they  knew  that  it  would  most 
effectually  blind  them  in  regard  to 
iheir  apostacy.  They  at  length  suc- 
ceeded, though  not  without  a  great 
struggle  of  conscience  among  the 
more  honest  portions  of  the  people. 
These  could  not  so  readily  yield  con- 
sent to  so  strange  and  unheard  of 
doctrine.  They  looked  back  through 
the  whole  history  of  the  dealings  of 
God  with  his  people,  from  the  time 
that  man  was  created  to  their  day  ; 
and  they  could  not  discover  one  sol- 
itary instance  of  a  true  people  of  God, 
but  what  they  had  continued  revela- 
tions from  Him ;  and  those  who  did 
not  have  these  blessings  were  de- 
nounced as  heathens,  or  in  a  state 
of  apostacy.  They  were  expressly 
told  in  their  scriptures,  that  u  where 
there  is  no  vision  the  people  perish. " 
It,  therefore,  required  no  small  exer- 
tion on  the  part  of  these  wicked  apos- 
tates to  introduce,  and  get  the  people 
to  believe  in  a  doctrine  so  entirely 
new  and  strange,  and  so  directly  op- 
posed to  the  whole  tenor  of  divine 
revelation.  But  finally,  through  the 
help  of  the  Devil,  and  after  a  long 
struggle,  during  which  scores  of 
thousands  were  tortured  and  put  to 
death,  they  succeeded  so  far  as  to 
make  an  ecclesiastical  law,  not  only 
positively  excluding  all  further  reve- 
lation, but  actually  limiting  the  faith 
of  their  apostate  clan  to  a  certain 
number  of  books,  called,  by  them, 
"  Canonical.  "  This  took  place  at 
the  Third  Council  of  Carthage  in  the 
year  397.  All  were  forbidden  to  re- 
ceive any  thing  as  the  word  of  God 
only   the  few  canonical  manuscripts 


238 


REPENTANCE. 


which  this  apostate  council  had  se- 
lected. This  fatal  law  had  ils  desired 
effect,  in  entailing-  upon  posterity  the 
soul-destroying  delusion  that  God 
would  no  more  speak  with  mortals. 
This  great  imposition  has  been  trans- 
fered  down  to  our  time,  and  is  exten- 
sively taught  through  all  the  nations 
of  Christendom. 

If  this  delusion  was  confined  to 
some  obscure  corner  of  the  earth 
among  unlettered  barbarians,  it  would 
not  be  so  fearful  in  its  consequences, 
but  to  be  embraced  by  millions  of  the 
most  civilized  people  of  our  globe, 
and  that,  too,  in  direct  defiance  of  the 
Bible,  renders  it  vastly  more  offensive 
in  the  sight  of  God.  It  is  calculated 
to  destroy  millions  on  millions  of 
souls  ;  for  who,  with  the  Bible  in 
their  hands,  can  expect  to  be  saved, 
if  they  suffer  themselves  to  believe  or 
harbor  such  a  wicked  doetrine  in  their 
hearts  ?  Do  you  expect  that  God 
will  save  you  when  you  have  the 
rashness  to  declare  that  you  have  no 
need  of  prophets  and  revelators — that 
you  have  enough  of  the  word  of  God 
already?  You  cannot  plead  ignor- 
ance, like  many  hundreds  of  millions 
who  have  died  in  past,  ages  who  were 
never  favored  with  the  privilege  of 
reading  the  Bible.  You  can  have  no 
excuse  because  your  minister,  and 
your  neighbors,  and  your  fathers, 
have  taught  you  this  imposition. 
You  have  the  Bible,  and  you  can  read 
and  judge  for  yourselves ;  and  the 
whole  tenor  of  that  sacred  book  will 
show  you  most  clearly  to  the  contra- 
ry. The  Bible  will  inform  you  that 
so  long  as  the  Christian  Church  was 
on  the  earth  they  were  favored  with 
continued  revelation  ;  it  will  tell  you 
that  the  Christian  Church  Avere  guided 
and  led  continually  by  the  spirit  of 
prophecy  and  revelation — by  living 
revelators  and  inspired  men.  It  will 
tell  you  that  any  thing  short  of  that 
order  of  things  is  not  of  God,  but  of 
men.  If  you  will,  therefore,  by  pop- 
ular tradition,  and  through  the  influ- 
ence of  your  popular  false  teachers, 
suffer  yourselves  to  be  imposed  upon 
by  such  absurd,  unscriptural  and  anti- 
Christian    doctrines,     you    need    not 


flatter  yourselves  that  you  can  be 
saved  ;  for  God  will  not  save  those 
who  reject  the  doctrine  of  continued 
revelation.  This,  therefore,  is  an- 
other great  evil  of  which  this  genera- 
tion are  deeply  guilty  before  God ; 
and  He  has  called  upon  them  by  the 
voice  of  his  servants,  and  by  the  voice 
of  revelation,  contained  in  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  to  repent  of  this  evil  and 
give  no  more  heed  to  false  doctrines 
of  this  nature,  declaring  that  all  those 
who  do  not  repent  of  these  things, 
shall  be  cut  off  and  sent  down  to 
hell. 

Another  false  doctrine  taught  and 
almost  universally  believed  by  this 
wicked  generation  is,  that  it  is  no 
longer  the  privilege  of  believers  to  re- 
ceive the  miraculous  signs  promised 
to  them  in  the  Scriptures.  For  in- 
stance, Jesus  informs  us  in  the  most 
express  terms,  as  recorded  in  the  last 
chapter  of  Mark,  and  in  many  other 
Scriptures,  that  certain  miraculous 
gifts  should  be  given  to  believers 
throughout  all  the  world,  wherever 
and  to  whomsoever  the  Gospel  should 
be  preached,  and  be  believed  and 
obeyed.  And  lest  some  wicked  apos- 
tate or  false  teacher  should  undertake 
to  limit  the  signs  to  the  believers  in 
the  first  aire  of  Christianity,  he  most 
emphatically  declares  that  "  EVERY 
CREATURE"  in  all  the  world  who 
should  believe  the  Gospel  and  be  bap- 
tized, should  not  only  be  saved,  but 
that  all  such  should  have  power 
in  his  name  to  "cast  out  devils" — 
"speak  with  new  tongues" — "take 
up  serpents" — and  deadly  poisons 
should  not  hurt  them — and  they 
should  "  lay  hands  upon  the  sick, 
and  they  should  recover."  Now, 
who  could  have  believed  that  genera- 
tions of  professed  Christians  would 
arise,  who,  with  the  Bible  in  their 
hand,  would  have  the  bold,  unblush- 
ing impudence,  to  declare  that  the 
believer  has  no  right  to  claim  this 
promise  of  our  Lord  ?  Only  think, 
dear  reader,  of  the  millions  of  pro- 
fessed believers  in  the  Gospel,  who 
crowd  the  streets  on  the  Sabbath  day 
to  go  to  their  respective  places  of 
worship,  and  yet   not   one  of  them 


REPENTANCE 


239 


throughout  the  congregated  millions 
that  even  profess  to  claim  the  promise 
of  Jesus  in  regard  to  the  Gospel  bless- 
ings :  they  call  themselves  believers, 
and  yet  they  have  not  the  signs  of 
believers — they  profess  that  Jesus  is 
their  Saviour,  and  yet  every  soul  of 
them  rejects  his  word  in  relation  to 
the  promised  signs :  they  are  very 
willing  to  claim  one  of  the  promises 
irt  the  same  connection  with  these 
signs,  viz  :  Salvation  ;  but  the  other 
promises  spoken  by  the  same  Being, 
and  on  the  same  occasion,  are  utterly 
rejected ;  and  if  any  honest,  humble 
soul  among  them  should  begin  to 
seek  after  the  promised  signs  and  ex- 
hort his  brethren  to  do  the  same,  he 
would  immediately  be  denounced  as 
an  enthusiast,  or  as  insane ;  and  if  he 
persisted  in  so  doing,  he  would  be  ex- 
cluded from  their  ranks  and  expelled 
from  their  synagogues  as  a  dangerous 
person.  Now  what  will  become  of 
all  these  false  teachers  who  thus  do 
away  with  the  promises  of  Jesus  ? 
and  what  will  become  of  the  people 
who  suffer  themselves  to  be  led  by 
such  hypocrites  ?  They  will,  every 
soul  of  them,  unless  they  repent  of 
these  false  doctrines,  be  cast  down 
to  hell.  Yes,  every  man  and  wo- 
man, priest  and  people,  that  do  not 
repent  of  having  done  away  the  mirac- 
ulous gifts  and  blessings  of  the  Gos- 
pel, will  just  as  surely  go  to  hell  as 
they  are  living  beings.  Do  not  flat- 
ter yourselves  that  you  will  escape  ; 
for  there  is  no  escape  for  you,  only  to 
repent  and  turn  unto  the  Lord,  and 
seek  most  earnestly  after  the  mirac- 
ulous gifts  of  the  Gospel  which  you, 
and  your  false  teachers,  in  your  wick- 
edness and  hypocricy,  have  done 
away.  Think  not  that  you  can  follow 
the  popular  multitude  in  their  forms 
of  godliness,  and  with  them  deny  the 
power  thereof,  and  escape  the  right- 
eous indignation  of  that  holy  Being 
whose  words  you  have  rejected.  By 
His  words  that  you  have  had  in  this 
life,  you  are  to  be  judged  in  the  last 
day  ;  if  you  have  received  and  obeyed 
them,  well ;  if  not,  they  will  condemn 
you,  and  you  will  shrink  from  the 
presence  of  Him  who  gave  the  word, 


and  your  guilty  consciences  will  be 
racked  with  fear  and  pain ;  and  the 
miseri  s  of  hell  will  lay  hold  upon 
you;  and  you  will  be  made  to  feel 
that  God's  holy  word  is  not  spoken 
in  vain,  and  that  it  cannot  be  rejected 
with  impunity. 

Another  very  prevalent  and  great 
evil  is  in  the  land.  Many  thousands 
of  these  corrupt  false  teachers  who 
have  denied  the  necessity  of  the  mi- 
raculous powers  and  gifts  of  the  Gos- 
pel, and  who  have  done  away  the 
gifts  of  prophecy  and  revelation  from 
the  church,  have  even  dared  to  ven- 
ture forward  and  officiate  in  some  of 
the  Gospel  ordinances,  as  though  they 
actually  had  authority  from  God  ;  and 
many  thousands  have  actually  pre- 
sumed to  receive  the  holy  sacred  or- 
dinances of  the  Gospel  from  the 
hands  of  such  corrupt,  soul-destroy- 
ing hypocrites.  If  there  is  any  wick- 
edness that  borders  closely  on  blas- 
phemy, it  is  this!  What  can  be  more 
impious  in  the  sight  of  heaven,  than 
for  men  to  do  away,  as  unnecessary, 
nearly  all  of  the  most  glorious  gifts 
of  the  Gospel,  and  preach  to  their 
hearers  that  they  are  unnecessary  in 
these  days,  and  then  have  the  auda- 
cious wickedness  to  minister  the  holy 
sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  or 
pretend  to  baptize  by  the  authority 
and  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost.  Such  heaven-daring 
wickedness  is  calculated  to  sink  these 
vile  imposters  to  the  lowest  hell.  And 
unless  the  people  repent  of  having  re- 
ceived baptism  and  other  ordinances 
of  the  Gospel  at  the  hands  of  such 
deceivers,  they  will  be  sent  to  hell 
I  with  them;  for  if  the  blind  lead  the 
blind,  they  will  all  go  into  the  ditch 
together,  and  the  deceived,  as  well  as 
the  deceiver,  will  all  have  to  reap  the 
reward  of  their  own  corrupt  doings. 

I  know  that  the  people  will  be 
angry  with  me,  and  hate  me,  because 
I  tell  them  of  their  wickedness  thus 
plainly.  But  I  have  not  been  sent  to 
flatter  this  generation  with  smooth 
things,  nor  to  tell  them  that  all  is  well ; 
but  I  have  been  sent  to  set  forth  your 
sins  and  your  abominations,  and  all 
your  evil  works  which  you  continu- 


240 


REPENTANCE. 


ally  practice  before  the  Almighty  in 
clearness  before  your  minds,  and  to 
call  upon  you  in  the  name  of  Him 
who  sent  me,  to  repent  of  the  same 
and  turn  unto  the  Lord,  and  embrace 
the  fulness  of  the  Gospel  which  God 
has  revealed  anew  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  or  every  one  of  you  will, 
most  assuredly,  be  damned.  It  mat- 
ters not  to  me  whether  I  please  or  dis- 
please you — whether  1  receive  your 
good  will,  or  incur  your  biiter  hatred, 
my  only  object  is  to  do  the  will  of 
Him  who  has  sent  me,  and  to  faith- 
fully discharge  my  duty  towards  you. 
You  were  once  a  very  different 
people  from  what  you  are  now.  When 
your  pilgrim  fathers  fled  from  the  per- 
secutions of  the  old  world  and  braved 
the  dangers  and  hardships,  incident  to 
the  settlement  of  this  lovely  country, 
they  were  a  humble,  honest  people, 
who  worshipped  the  Lord  their  God 
according  to  the  best  of  their  knowl- 
edge ;  and  the  Lord  was  with  them, 
and  destroyed  the  savages  from  before 
their  face ;  and  when  the  arm  of  the 
mother  country  was  stretched  out  to 
oppress  and  destroy,  He  raised  up  sa 
viours  and  delivered  them  from  the 
power  of  all  their  enemies.  More- 
over, He  made  them  a  great  people, 
and  strong,  and  independent  of  all 
nations.  He  established  peace  within 
the  land,  and  their  children  have  mul- 


tiplied, and  you  have  become  one  of 
the  most  powerful  nations  upon  the 
earth.  Y  our  granaries  and  your  store- 
houses have  overflowed  with  the  rich 
products  and  delicacies  of  the  earth. 
The  mountains,  and  hills,  and  dales, 
have  been  covered  with  the  abundance 
of  your  flocks  and  herds,  while  your 
merchants  have  waxed  rich  in  the  ex- 
tent of  their  trade,  both  by  land 
and  sea;  the  rich  treasures  of  the 
earth  have  disclosed  themselves, 
and  blessings  without  number,  have 
been  multiplied  upon  you.  But 
you  have  forgotten  the  Lord  God 
whom  your  pilgrim  fathers  wor- 
shipped ;  you  have  become  proud  and 
haughty  in  your  bearing  •,  you  despise 
the  meekness  and  humility  of  the 
Christian's  life.  You  remember  not 
that  it  is  God  who  has  bestowed  up- 
on you  all  that  you  enjoy.  You 
think  that  you  can  do  what  you 
please,  and  all  will  continue  to  be 
well.  But  as  God  has  exalted  you 
on  high  above  all  nations,  if  you  re- 
pent not  speedily,  He  will  bring  you 
very  low  ;  and  the  great  blessings  you 
now  enjoy  shall  be  taken  from  you, 
and  your  cities  shall  be  left  unto  you 
desolate,  and  your  beautiful  habita- 
tions shall  be  deserted,  and  death  and 
mourning  shall  be  heard  throughout 
the  land. 

( To  be  continued.) 


CONTENTS: 

Fowers  of  Nature, 225 

Explanation  of  Substituted  Names  in  the  Covenants, 227 

St.  Louis  Conference  Minutes, 230 

Editorial  —Perpetual  Emigrating  Fund — Tithing— Emigration  to  Uiah 231 

Repentance -* 233 


WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.  C. 

EDITED    AND    PUBLISHED    BY    ORSON    PRATT. 
Jil  $1  per  annum,  invariably  in  advance. 


THE 


OHUfaKa 


All  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  ami  dwpllcrs  on  the  earth,  See  Ye.  when  He 
lifteth  up  an  Unsign  on  the  Mountains.— Isaiah  xvm,  3. 


Vol.  II. 


APRIL,    1854 


No.  4. 


WAR. 

A  REVELATION  AND  PROPHECY  BY  THE  PROPHET,  SEER,  AND 
REVELATOR,  JOSEPH  SMITH. 

GIVEN    DECEMBER    25th,    1832. 


Verily  thus  saith  the  Lord,  con- 
cerning the  wars  that  will  shortly  come 
to  pass,  beginning  at  the  rebel- 
lion of  South  Carolina,  which  will 
eventually  terminate  in  the  death  and 
misery  of  many  souls.  The  days 
will  come  that  war  will  be  poured  out 
upon  all  nations,  beginning  at  that 
place;  for  behold,  the  Southern 
States  shall  be  divided  against  the 
Northern  States;  and  the  Southern 
States  will  call  on  other  nations,  even 
the  nation  of  Great  Britain,  as  it  is 
called,  and  they  shall  also  call  upon 
other  nations  in  order  to  defend  them- 
selves against  other  nations  ;  and  thus, 
war  shall  be  poured  out  upon  all 
nations.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
after  many  days,  slaves  shall  rise  up 
against  their  Masters,  who  shall  be 
marshalled  and  disciplined  for  war. — 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass  also,  that 
the  remnants  who  are  left  of  the  land 
will  marshal  themselves,  and  shall  be- 
come exceeding  angry,  and  shall  vex 
the  Gentiles  with  a  sore  vexation. — 
And  thus,  with  the  sword,  and  by 
bloodshed,  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth 
shall  mourn ;  and  with  famine,  and 
plague,  and  earthquakes,  and  the 
thunder  of  heaven,  and  the  fierce  and 
vivid  lightning  also,  shall  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  earth  be  made  to  feel 
ipe  wrath,  and  indignation,  and  chas- 


tening hand  of  an  Almighty  God,  until 
the  consumption,  decreed,  hath  made 
a  full  end  of  all  nations;  that  the  cry 
of  the  Saints,  and  of  the  blood  of 
Saints,  shall  cease  to  come  up  into 
the  ears  of  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth,  from 
the  earth,  to  be  avenged  of  their  ene- 
mies. Wherefore,  stand  ye  in  holy 
places,  and  be  not  moved,  until  the 
day  of  the  Lord  come;  for  behold  it 
cometh  quickly,  saith  the  Lord.  Amen. 
(Pearl  of  Great  Price,  page  35.) 

The  above  revelation  was  given 
twenty-one  years  ago  last  Christmas. 
We  learn  by  this,  some  particulars  in 
regard  to  the  nature  of  that  universal 
war  which  is  soon  to  deluge  all  the 
nations  and  kingdoms  of  the  earth. — 
The  first  indication  of  this  fearful  ca- 
lamity was  to  begin  in  the  rebellion 
of  South  Carolina.  The  revelation 
does  not  inform  us  that  the  first  symp- 
tom of  this  rebellion  would  exhibit 
any  thing  very  alarming  in  its  appear- 
ance, but  says,  that  it  ^will  eventual- 
ly terminate  in  the  death  and  misery 
of  many  souls?''  "Eventually  "  (not 
directly  or  immediately,)  should  the 
rebellion  of  that  State  lead  on  to  a 
war  more  general  in  its  nature,  in- 
volving the  whole  nation  in  a  fearful 
revolution  resulting,  not  in  the  loss  of 
a  few,  but  in  the  "death  and  misery  of 
many  souls." 


242 


WAR. 


The  revelation  does  not  inform  us 
of  the  particulars  of  this  general  war, 
but  shows,  in  very  few  words,  the 
order  in  which  it  would  spread ; 
First,  South  Carolina  should  rebel; 
second,  "the  Southern  Slates"  should 
"be  divided  against  the  Northern 
States;"  third,  the  Southern  States 
should  call  on  Great  Britain  for  help  : 
and  fourth,  Great  Britain  should  call 
on  "other  nations  in  order  to  defend 
themselves  against  other  nations." 
It  seems  from  this,  that  Great  Britain 
will  already  be  at  war  with  some  na- 
tions at  the  time  the  South  will  ap- 
peal to  her  for  assistance  ;  for  she 
will  be  obliged  to  seek  assistance  to 
defend  herself  from  other  nations. — 
Whether  Great  Britain,  under  such 
critical  circumstances,  will  render  aid 
to  the  South,  is  not  staled.  She  will, 
perhaps,  in  order  to  secure  commer- 
cial advantages  favour  the  South  ;  this 
will  enable  the  latter  to  compete 
with  the  superior  numbers  of  the 
North,  and  prolong  the  war,  until,  as 
the  revelation  states,  it  results  in  the 
destruction  of  many  souls - 

During  this  fearful  revolutionary 
struggle  between  the  South  and  the 
North,  it  seems  that  the  South  will 
marshal  and  discipline  their  slaves 
for  war. 

From  this,  it  is  quite  evident,  that  the 
South  will  consider  themselves  hard- 
ily competent  to  withstand  the  force 
of  the  North  without  bringing  into 
requisition  the  strength  of  the  slave. 
However  much  assistance  this  may 
for  awhile  render  to  the  South,  it  is 
certain,  according  to  the  revelation, 
that  this  strength  will  fail  them  :  for, 
saith  the  Lord,  "And  it  shall  come 
to  pass  after  many  days,  slaves  shall 
rise  up  against  their  masters."  From 
the  expression,  ^afier  many  days" 
we  are  led  to  conclude  that  the  ca- 
lamity, arising  from  the  rebellion  of 
the  Slaves,  will  not  take  place,  until 
the  nation  has,  by  its  previous  strug- 
gles been   reduced  to  great  weakness. 

To  add  to  the  sufferings  and  great 
calamities  of  the  nation,  they  will  be 
greatly  distressed  by  the  aborigines, 
who  "will  marshal  themselves  and 
become   exceeding   angry"   and    vex 


them  "with  a  sore  vexation."  We 
are  inclined  to  believe  that  this  will 
not  take  place  until  millions  of  the 
nation  have  already  perished  in  their 
own  revolutionary  battles.  To  what 
extent  the  Indians  will  have  power 
over  the  nation  is  not  stated  in  this 
revelation  ;  but  from  what  Jesus  in- 
formed their  forefathers  at  the  time  of 
his  personal  ministry  among  them,  as 
recorded  in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  they 
will  have  power  in  a  great  measure 
over  the  whole  nation.  In  speaking 
upon  this  subject,  Jesus  prophesies  as 
follows  : — 

"  Therefore,  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
that  whosoever  will  not  believe  in  my 
words,  who  am  Jesus  Christ,  which 
the  Father  shall  cause  him''  (Joseph 
Smith)  "to  bring  forth  unto  the  Gen- 
tiles, and  shall  give  unto  him  power 
that  he  shall  bring  them  forth  unto 
the  Gentiles,  it  shall  be  done  even  as 
Moses  said,  they  shall  be  cut  off  from 
among  my  people  who  are  of  the  cove- 
nant; and  my  people  who  are  a  remnant 
of  Jacob,  shall  be  among  the  Gentiles, 
yea,  in  the  midst  of  them  as  a  lion 
among  the  beasts  of  the  forest,  as  a 
young  lion  among  the  flocks  of  sheep, 
who.  if  he  go  through,  both  treadeth 
down  and  teareth  in  pieces,  and  none 
can  deliver.  Their  hand  shall  be 
lifted  up  upon  their  adversaries,  and 
all  their  enemies  shall  be  cut  off'. — 
Yea,  wo  be  unto  the  Gentiles,  except 
they  repent,  for  it  shall  come  to  pass 
in  that  day,  saith  the  Father,  that  I 
will  cut  off  thy  horses  out  of  the 
midst  of  thee,  and  I  will  destroy  thy 
chariots,  and  I  will  cut  oft' the  cities 
of  thy  land,  and  throw  down  all  thy 
strongholds;  and  I  will  cut  off*  witch- 
crafts out  of  thy  land,  and  thou  shalt 
have  no  more  soothsayers;  thy  gra- 
ven images  I  will  also  cut  off",  and  thy 
standing  images  out  of  the  midst  of 
thee,  and  thou  shalt  no  more  worship 
the  works  of  thy  hands;  and  I  will 
pluck  up  thy  groves  out  of  the  midst 
of  thee  ;  so  will  I  destroy  thy  cities. — ■ 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  all  ly- 
ings, and  deceivings,  and  envyings, 
and  strifes,  and  priestcrafts,  and 
whoredoms,  shall  be  done  away. — 
For    it   shall  come  to  pass,  saith  the 


WAR. 


243 


Father,  that  at  that  day  whosoever 
will  not  repent  and  come  unto  my  be- 
loved Son,  them  will  I  cut  off  from 
among  my  people,  O  house  of  Israel ; 
and  I  will  execute  vengeance  and  fury 
upon  them,  even  as  upon  the  heath- 
en, such  as  they  have  not  heard." 
(Book  ofNephi9  :  12.) 

From    this    prophecy    of   our  Sa- 
viour  it  will  be  seen  that  the  aborigi 


put  up  unto  Him  for  them.  And  then, 
O  ye  Gentiles,"  (meaning  the  people 
of  the  United  States,)  "how  can  ye 
stand  before  the  power  of  God,  except 
ye  shall  repent  and  turn  from  your 
evil  ways  !  Know  ye  not  that  ye  are 
in  the  hands  of  God  ?  know  ye  not 
that  He  hath  all  power,  and  at  Hia 
great  command  the  earth  shall  be  rolled 
together  as  a    scroll  ?     Therefore   re- 


nes  or  remnants  of  Jacob  will  pre- i  pent  ye,  and  humble  yourselves  be- 
vail  against  the  nation,  even  as  a  lion  fore  Him,  lest  he  shall  come  out  in 
prevails  against  the  beasts  of  the  for  'justice  against  you  ;  lest  a  remnant  of 


est.  Naturally  speaking,  this  could 
not  take  place,  unless  the  nation  were 
first  greatly  weakened  by  former 
judgments,  or  unless  God  should  so 
ordain,  and  suffer  them  to  be  over- 
come   by   their   enemies.     That  God 


the  seed  of  Jacob  shall  go  forth  amon^ 
you  as  a  lion,  and  tear  you  in  pieces, 
and  there  is  none  to  deliver."  (Book 
of  Mormon,  2  :  6.) 

Before   the    Lord  would    suffer  the 
remnant   of  Jacob   or  the  Indians  to 


himself  will  fight  for  the  remnant  of ;  fall  upon  the  Gentiles,  He  promised 
Jacob,  is  clearly  manifest  in  the  fore-  |  their  forefathers  that  He  would  bring 
going  quotation.  It  is  God  who  is  to  j  forth  their  sacred  records  unto  the  Gen- 
cut  off  the  horses,  destroy  the  char-  i  tiles,  that  they  might  have  the  priv- 
iots,cut  offthecities,and  throw  down  !  ilege  of  repenting  and  of  being  number- 
all    the    strongholds    of   the    nation  :    ed  with   the  house  of  Israel.     Jesu? 


it  is  God  who  is  to  cut  off  the  graven 
and  standing  images,  and  pluck  up 
the  pleasant  groves,  and  destroy  all 
wickedness  from  the  land  :  it  is  God 
who  is    to   uexecute    vengeance    and 


spake  unto  their  ancestors  as  follows  : 
"  In  the  latter  day  shall  the  truth 
come  unto  the  Gentiles,  that  the  ful- 
ness of  these  things  shall  be  made 
known    unto  them.     But  wo,    saith 


fury  upon  them  even  as  upon  the  |  the  Father,  unto  the  unbelieving  of 
heathen,  such  as  they  have  not  J  the  Gentiles,  for  notwithstanding 
heard."  God  will,  therefore,  he  with  j  they  have  come  forth  upon  the  face 
the  remnant  of  Jacob,  even  as  He  of  this  land,  and  have  scattered  my 
was  with  their  forefathers  in  the  days  ;  people  who  are  of  the  house  of 
of  their  righteousness  :  and  as  He  de-  j  Israel ;  and  my  people  who  are  of  the 
stroyed  the  wicked  nations  from  the  i  house  of  Israel  have  been  cast  out  from 
land  of  Canaan,  so  will  He  utterly  de- j  among  them,  and  have  been  trodden 
stroy  this  nation  unless  they  repent  and  |  under  feet  by  them ;  and  because  of  the 
obey  the  word  of  the  Lord  revealed  j  mercies  ol  the  Father  unto  the  Gen- 
in  the  Book   of  Mormon.  tiles,  and  also   the  judgments  of  the 

The  prophet  Mormon,  a  little  less  Father  upon  my  people  who  are  of 
than  fifteen  centuries  ago,  delivers  a  |  the  house  of  Israel  ;  verily,  verily,  I 
prophecy,  concerning  this  remnant  of  I  say  unto  you  that  after  all  this,  and 
Jacob  and  this  nation  of  Gentiles  in  j  I  have  caused  my  people  who  are  of 
the  following  words:  the  house  of  Israel,  to    be    smitten, 

"  But  behold,  it  shall  come  to  pass  I  and  to  be  afflicted,  and  to  be  slain, 
that  they"  (the  Indians)  "shall  be  |  and  to  be  cast  out  from  among  them, 
driven  and  scattered  by  the  Gentiles ;  and  to  become  hated  by  them — and  to 
and  after  they  have  been  driven  and  |  become  a  hiss  and  a  bye-word  among 
scattered  by  the  Gentiles,  behold,  then  them.  And  thus  commandeth  the 
will  the  Lord  remember  the  covenant  Father  that  I  should  say  unto  you,  at 
which  He   made    unto   Abraham,  and    that  day,  when  the  Gentiles  shall  sin 


unto  all  the  house  of  Israel.  And  also 
the  Lord  will  remember  the  prayers 
of  the    righteous,  which    have    been 


against  my  gospel,"  (meaning  then- 
rejection  oi'the  book  of  Mormon,)  "and 
shall  be  lifted  up  in  the   pride  of  their 


244 


WAR. 


hearts  above  all  nations,  and  above  all 
the  people  of  the  whole  earth,  and  shall 
be  filled  with  all  manner  of  lyings,  and 
of  deceits,  and  of  mischiefs,  and  all 
manner  of  hypocrisy,  and  murders, 
and  priestcrafts,  and  whoredoms,  .and 
of  secret  abominations;  and  if  they  shall 
do  all  those  things,  and  shall  reject 
the  fulness  of  my  gospel,  behold 
saith  the  Father,  I  will  bring  the  ful- 
ness of  my  gospel  from  among  them  , 
and  then,  I  will  remember  my  cove- 
nant which  I  have  made  unto  my  peo- 
ple, O  house  of  Israel,  and  I  will 
bring  my  gospel  unto  them ;  and  I 
will  show  unto  thee,  O  house  of  Is- 
rael, that  the  Gentiles  shall  not  have 
power  over  you;  but  I  will  remem- 
ber my  covenant  unto  you,0  house  of 
Israel,  and  ye  shall  come  unto  the 
knowledge  of  the  fulness  of  my  gos- 
pel. But  if  the  Gentiles  will  repent, 
and  return  unto  me,  saith  the  Father, 
behold,  they  shall  be  numbered 
among  my  people,  O  house  of  Israel : 
and  1  will  not  suffer  my  people,  who 
are  of  the  house  of  Israel,  to  go  through 
among  them,  and  tread  them  down, 
saith  the  Father.  But  if  they  will  not 
turn  unto  me,  and  hearken  unto  my 
voice,  I  will  suffer  them,  yea,  I  will 
suffer  my  people,  O  house  of  Israel, 
that  thev  shall  go  through  among 
them,  and  shall  tread  them  down,  and 
they  shall  be  as  salt  that  hath  lost  its 
savor,  wh:ch  is  thenceforth  good  for 
nothing,  but  to  be  cast  out,  and  to  be 
trodden  under  foot  of  my  people,  O 
house  of  Israel."  (Book  ofNephi  7:  4.) 

It  is  evident  from  the  foregoing  that 
before  the  Indian  are  suffered  to  have 
complete  power  over  this  nation,  God 
will  thoroughly  warn  them  through 
the  medium  of  His  word  in  the 
book  of  Mormon,  which,  if  they  re- 
ject, will  ripen  them  for  the  threaten- 
ed judgments;  hut  first  the  Lord 
will  bring  the  fulness  of  His  gospel 
from  among  the  nation,  delivering 
them  over,  because  of  their  wicked- 
ness, to  hardness  of  heart  and  blind- 
ness of  mind,  that  He  may  execute 
vengeance  and  fury  upon  them.  Jesus 
more  fully  describes  this  calamity  on 
another  occasion,  as  follows  : 

"And  the  Father  hath   commanded 


me,  that  I  should  give  unto  you  this 
land  for  your  inheritance.  And  I  say 
unto  you,  that  if  the  Gentiles  do 
not  repent,  after  the  blessing  which 
they  shall  receive,"  (meaning  the 
blessing  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,) 
"  after  they  have  scattered  my  people, 
then  shall  ye  who  are  a  remnant  of 
the  house  of  Jacob,  go  forth  among 
them  ;  and  ye  shall  be  in  the  midst  of 
them,  who  shall  be  many  ;  and  ye 
shall  be  among  them,  as  a  lionamonij 
the  beasts  of  the  forest,  and  as  ayoung 
lion  among  the  flocks  of  sheep,  who, 
if  he  goeth  through,  both  treadeth 
down  and  teareth  in  pieces,  and 
none  can  deliver.  Thy  hand  shall 
be  lifted  up  upon  thine  adversaries,  and 
all  thine  enemies  shall  be  cut  off. — 
And  I  will  gather  my  people  to- 
gether, as  a  man  gatherethhls  sheaves 
into  the  floor,  for  I  will  make  my 
people  with  whom  the  Father  hath 
covenanted,  yea,  1  will  make  thy 
horn  iron,  and  I  will  make  thy  hoofs 
brass.  And  thou  shalt  beat  in  pieces 
many  people  ;  and  I  will  consecrate 
their  gain  unto  the  Lord,  and  their 
substance  unto  the  Lord  of  the  whole 
earth.  And  behold,  I  am  He  who 
doeth  it.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
saith  the  Father,  that  the  sword  of 
my  justice  shall  hang  over  them  at 
that  day ;  and  except  they  repent,  it 
shall  fall  upon  them,  saith  the  Fath- 
er, yea,  even  upon  all  the  nations  ol 
the  Gentiles."  (Book  of  Nephi,  9: 
8  and  9.) 

This  last  quotation  shows  most 
clearly  that  it  is  God  who  will, 
through  the  instrumentality  of  this 
remnant  of  Jacob,  bring  this  nation 
down  ;  and  because  God  is  against 
them  "none  can  deliver  them"  out  of 
His  hands,  or  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
aborigines  who  are  of  the  house  of 
Israel  :  they  will  beat  in  pieces  many 
people,  and  there  will  be  no  power  in 
the  Gentdes  to  stand  before  them,  be- 
cause they  have  sinned  against  God 
in  rejecting  His  word  which  He  has 
taken  so  much  pains  to  preserve  and 
bring  forth  unto  them  :  But.  they 
treat  it  as  a  thing  of  naught,  and  de- 
spise the  same ;  therefore  shall  they 
be  treated  as  naught,and  trodden  down 


WAR. 


245 


by  the  house  of  Israel  even  as  nations 
of  old.  Say  not  in  your  hearts  that  you 
are  strong,  and  that  these  calamities 
will  not.  come  upon  you;  for  though 
you  increase  your  strength  an  hun- 
dred fold,  and  fortify  yourselves  with 
walls  and  gigantic  towers  ;  and  by 
your  wisdom  invent  engines  of  de- 
struction that  will  cause  the  nations  to 
tremble,  yet  you  shall  be  as  naught 
before  the  power  of  the  Almighty, 
and  your  strong-holds  shall  be  thrown 
down,  as  were  the  walls  of  Jericho, 
and  you  shall  fall  a  prey  to  the  de- 
vouring sword,  and  your  carcases  shall 
moulder  away  upon  the  face  of  the 
land,  and  your  flesh  shall  become 
meat  for  the  dogs  and  for  the  ravenous 
birds  of  the  air ;  and  there  shall  be 
none  left  to  blaspheme  against  the 
Holy  One  of  Israel,  or  to  fight  against 
His  holy  word  upon  all  the  face  of 
this  land.  For  this  is  a  choice  land, 
and  it  must  be  redeemed  from  the 
hand  of  wickedness,  that  the  righteous 
may  dwell  thereon  for  ever,  and  rejoice 
in  the  fulness  of  the  blessings  thereof. 

The  day  is  at  hand  when  the  Lord 
will  visit  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
with  a  proclamation  of  repentance 
and  mercy,  and  blessed  are  that  peo- 
ple, nation,  or  tongue  who  know  the 
joyful  sound  ;  but  wo  unto  that  peo- 
ple who  hearken  not  unto  the  voice 
of  the  Lord,  neither  unto  the  voice 
of  his  servants ;  for  the  Lord  has  a 
consumption  decreed  upon  all  the 
face  of  the  earth,  and  all  flesh  shall 
come  in  remembrance  before  Him  to 
rentier  unto  them  according  to  their 
works ;  to  redeem  the  whole  earth 
from  wickedness,  and  to  make  a  full 
end  of  all  nations  who  will  not  be- 
come subject  to  His  laws.  Where- 
fore nation  shall  war  against  nation 
and  kingdom  against  kingdom,  and 
the  slain  of  the  Lord  shall  be  many. 
In  regard  to  the  wars  of  the  latter 
days,  the  vision  of  Nephi,  seen  about 
six  hundred  years  before  Christ,  is 
highly  instructive.  We  quote  the 
following  : 

"  And  it  came  to  pass  that  the  an- 
gel spake  unto  me,  Nephi,  saying, 
thou  hast  beheld  that  if  the  Gentiles 
repent,  it  shall  be  well  with  them ;  and 


thou  also  knowest  concerning  the 
covenants  of  the  Lord,  unto  the 
house  of  Israel  ;  and  thou  also  hast 
heard,  that  whoso  repenteth  not,  must 
perish  ;  therefore,  wo  be  unto  the 
Gentiles,  if  it  so  be  that  they  harden 
their  hearts  against  the  Lamb  of  God, 
for  the  time  cometh,  saith  the  Lamb 
of  God,  that  I  will  work  a  great  and  a 
marvellous  work  among  the  children 
of  men;  a  work  which  shall  be  ev- 
erlasting, either  on  the  one  hand  or 
on  the  other :  either  to  the  con- 
vincing of  them  unto  peace  and  life 
eternal,  or  unto  the  deliverance  of 
them  to  the  hardness  of  their  hearts 
and  the  blindness  of  their  minds  un- 
to their  being  brought  down  into  cap- 
tivity, and  also  unto  destruction,  both 
temporally  and  spiritually,  according 
to  the  captivity  of  the  devil,  of  which 
I  have  spoken.  And  it  came  to  pass 
that  when  the  angel  had  spoken 
these  words  he  said  unto  me,  remem- 
berest  thou  the  covenants  of  the 
Father  unto  the  house  of  Israel  ?  1 
said  unto  him,  yea.  And  it  came 
to.  pass  that  he  said  unto  me,  look, 
and  behold  that  great  and  abomi- 
nable church,  which  is  the  mother  of 
abominations  whose  foundation  is  the 
devil.  And  he  said  unto  me,  behold 
there  are  save  two  churches  only; 
the  one  is  the  church  of  the  Lamb  of 
God,  and  the  other  is  the  church  of 
the  devil ;  wherefore,  whoso  belong- 
eth  not  to  the  Church  of  the  Lamb  of 
God,  belongeth  to  that  great  church, 
which  is  the  mother  of  abominations; 
and  she  is    the  whore  of  all  the  earth. 

"  And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  looked 
and  beheld  the  whore  of  all  the  earth, 
and  she  sat  upon  many  waters  ;  and 
she  had  dominion  over  all  the  earth, 
among  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues, 
and  people. 

"And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  beheld 
the  Church  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  and 
its  numbers  were  few,  because  of  the 
wickedness  and  abominations  of  the 
whore  who  sat  upon  many  waters ; 
nevertheless,  I  beheld  that  the  Church 
of  ihe  Lamb,  who  were  the  Saints  of 
God,  were  also  upon  all  the  face  of 
the  earth;  and  their  dominions  upon 
the  face   of  the  earth  were  small,  be- 


246 


WAR. 


cause  of  the  wickedness  of  the  great 
whore  whom  I  saw. 

"  And  it  came  to  pass  that  1  beheld 
that  the  great  mother  of  abomination 
did  gather  together  multitudes  upon 
the  face  of  all  the  earth,  among  all 
the  nations  of  the  Gentiles,  to  fight 
against  the  Lamb  of  God. 

"  And  it  came  to  pass  that  F,  Nephi, 
beheld  the  power  of  the  Lamb  of 
God,  that  it  descended  upon  the 
Saints  of  the  Church  of  the  Lamb, 
and  upon  the  covenant  people  of  the 
Lord,  who  were  scattered  upon  all  the 
face  of  the  earth  •,  and  they  were 
armed  with  righteousness,  and  with 
the  power  of  God  in  great  glory. 

"  And  it  came  to  pass  that  ]  beheld 
that  the  wrath  of  God  was  poured  out 
upon  the  great  and  abominable  church 
insomuch  that  there  were  wars  and 
rumours  of  wars  among  all  the  na- 
tions and  kindreds  of  the  earth  ;  and 
as  there  began  to  be  wars  and  rumours 
of  wars  among  all  the  nations  which 
belonged  to  the  mother  of  abomina- 
tions, the  angel  spake  unto  me,  say- 
ing, behold,  the  wrath  of  God  is  upon 
the  mother  of  harlots ;  and  behold, 
thou  seestall  these  things  :  and  when 
ihe  day  cometh  that  the  wrath  of  God 
is  poured  out  upon  the  mother  of 
harlots,  which  is  the  great  and  abom- 
inable church  of  all  the  earth,  whose 
foundation  is  the  devil,  then,  at  that 
day,  the  work  of  the  Father  shall 
commence,  in  preparing  the  way  for 
the  fulfilling  of  his  covenants,  which 
he  hath  made  to  His  people,  who  are 
of  the  house  of  Israel."  (First  Book 
of  Nephi,  3:  45—51.) 

From  this  quotation,  it  will  be  seen 
that  there  will  be  wars  and  rumours 
of  wars  among  all  the  nations  of  the 
Gentiles.  Whether  the  present  war 
that  has  commenced  between  Russia 
and  Turkey  is  the  one  predicted  as  the 
beginning  of  that  more  general  war  in 
which  all  the  nations  will  participate, 
is  not  for  us  at  present,  to  say;  it  has 
every  appearance  of  becoming  gen- 
eral, at  least,  as  far  as  Europe  is  con- 
cerned. The  European  nations  with 
the  United  States  come  more  particu- 
larly under  the  dominion  of  the  "great 
and   abominable  church,"    which  in- 


cludes all  the  churches  of  apostate 
Christendom,  both  Catholic  and  Pro- 
testant. It  is  the  nations  of  Christen- 
dom that  are  to  be  visited  with  the 
heaviest  of  all  judgments*,  for  not  on- 
ly will  they  war  among  themselves, 
but  every  plague,  mentioned  in  John's 
revelations  as  coming  upon  great 
Babylon,  will  surely  come  upon  these 
apostate  christian  nations,  and  they 
will  gnaw  their  tongues  for  pain,  and 
finally,  as  one  of  the  last  judgments 
of  a  temporal  nature,  they  will  be  to- 
tally destroyed — they  and  their  cities, 
by  devouring  fire.  But  Oh,  what 
scenes  of  wretchedness  and  misery 
await  them,  before  the  day  of  burning 
comes !  No  tongue  can  describe 
the  fearful  desolating  judgments  that 
will  sweep  through  the  laud  ;  but 
yet,  they  will  not  repent,  for  their 
day  of  erace  will  then  be  past,  and 
they  will  be  sealed  over  unto  the 
judgments  written;  therefore,  in  the 
depths  of  their  miseries,  they  will  lift 
up  their  voices  and  curse  God  who 
has  power  over  these  plagues. 

In  order  that  God  may  punish 
these  nations  and  utterly  overthrow 
them,  he  is  calling  upon  his  people 
to  come  out  from  them  and  flee  far 
away,  and  hide  themselves  in  the 
chambers  of  the  mountains,  and  pu- 
rify themselves  before  the  Lord,  lest 
they  also  perish  in  Babylon  ;  for  the 
Lord  hath  decreed  that  he  will  spare 
none  that  remain  in  Babylon.  Let 
the  Saints  remember,  that  the  Lord 
hath  said,  that  the  people  of  Zion  are 
to  be  the  only  people  upon  the  face 
of  the  whole  earth  but  what  shall  be 
at  war  one  with  another.  They  alone 
will  escape  if  they  observe  diligently 
all  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  in 
the  Book  of  Mormon  and  in  the  oth- 
er revelations  which  God  has  given 
or  shall  hereafter  give;  but  if  not, 
they  will  in  no  wise  escape;  for  the 
Lord  will  chasten  the  Saints  until 
they  will  learn  to  live  by  every  word 
that  proceedeth  forth  from  His  mouth. 
Those  who  call  themselves  Latter- 
day  Saints  are  no  more  precious  in  the 
sight  of  God  than  other  people,  un- 
less they  do  better  than  others.  In- 
deed,   the   greater  the   light   against 


FOREIGN    INTELLIGENCE APPOINTMENT. 


247 


which  the  Saints  sin,  the  greater  and 
more  severe  must  be  their  judgment, 
unless  they  repent,  therefore,  let  us 
fear  before  the  Lord,  and  tremble  ex- 
ceedingly, if  we  have  any  of  us  sinned; 
let  us  go  before  Him  and  confess 
our  faults,  and  seek  mercies  and  for- 
giveness at  His  hands  ;  let  us  put 
away  every  evil,  and  strive  most  earn- 
estly   to   give    heed   to    the  word  of 


truth  :  for  how  can  we  stand  before 
Him  unless  we  do  this  !  The  great 
and  terrible  day  of  the  Lord  is  at 
hand,  and  all  nations  shall  fear  and 
tremble  exceedingly  ;  but  if  the  Saints 
are  prepared,  it  shall  be  a  day  of  re- 
joicing and  of  great  glory  to  them  ; 
it  shall  be  the  day  of  their  redemption, 
and  the  commencement  of  a  glorious 
reign  of  which  there  shall  be  no  end. 
Editor. 


>    •*$*•    « 


FOREIGN  INTELLIGENCE. 


Honolulu,  Sandwich  Islands, 
Nov.   18,  1853. 

Dear  Brother  O.  Pratt, 

I  take  the  earliest  opportunity  to 
acknowledge  your  kindness  in  for- 
warding me  the  Seer.  The  nine  first 
Nos.  of  which  have  just  come  to 
hand.  The  perusal  of  which  has 
caused  our  hearts  to  rejoice.  The  for- 
eign Elders  are  all  anxious  to  procure 
one  or  more  copies  of  all  your  publi- 
cations in  Washington.  I  send  you 
the  enclosed  list  of  subscription. — 
We  think  the  Seer  a  very  valuable 
production,  and  feel  that  it  may  do 
much  good  here.  The  work  upon 
these  Islands  is  onward.  Over  three 
thousand  have  been  baptized  in  all ; 
and  near  two  thousand  of  these,  have 
been  baptized  since  our  conference 
last  April.  Although  we  meet  wih 
every  opposition  that  priestcraft  can 
invent ;  and  in  one  instance  two  of 
the  brethren  were  severely  bruised 
and  ill-treated  by  mob  violence. — 
Besides  which  we  have  had  many 
vexatious  law-suits,  &c,  &c.  The 
Book  of  Mormon  is  translated  into 
the  native  tongue,  and  prepared  for 
the  press.  And  we  are  now  active- 
ly engaged  in  procuring  means  to 
establish  a  press  to  speedily  print 
that  and  many  other  works  for  this 
native  people.  And  we  iiope  before 
our  April  conference  to  have  it  in  suc- 
cessful operation 

We  are  seeking  out  a  location 
suitable  to  gather  this  people,  that 
they  may  become  better  prepared  for 


a  general  emigration;  and  also  to  de- 
tach them  from  the  corrupt  influence 
with  which  they  are  continually  sur- 
rounded. The  principles  of  truth 
and  virtue  are  fast  increasingamong 
the  native  saints;  and  many  who  have 
received  the  priesthood  are  becoming 
powerful  auxiliaries  in  rolling  for- 
ward the  work.  Our  religion  is  claim- 
ing the  attention  of  many  of  the  high- 
est Chiefs  or  Nobles  in  the  Kingdom; 
some  of  whom  have  avowed  their 
belief,  and  are  opening  their  hearts 
to  assist  in  procuring  a  press  and 
in  granting  lands  to  facilitate  the 
gathering  of  the  saints  here. 

The  smallpox  has  done  a  great 
work  here,  some  thousands  have  been 
swept  oft',  including  over  two  hun- 
dred of  the  saints.  There  is  much 
talk  of  annexation  to  the  United  States 
of  this  kingdom,  but  we  think  it  will 
not  soon  take  place. 

Believe  me  ever  your  Brother  in 
Christ,  B.  F.  Johnson. 


Appointment. — Elder  Aaron  F. 
Farr  is  appointed  to  succeed  Elder 
Horace  S.  Eldredge  in  the  presidency 
of  the  St.  Louis  conference.  Presi- 
dent Eldredge  has,  so  far  as  we  are 
acquainted,  presidtd  over  that  con- 
ference with  wisdom,  and  judgment, 
and  in  righteousness  ;  but  he  is  called 
to  return  to  the  valley  this  season  to 
attend  to  other  duties  that  may  be  as- 
signed to  him.  He  will  probably 
leave  in  June,  and  no  doubt  with  the 
good  feelings,  and  prayers,  and  bless- 


248 


FORMATION    OF    THE    EARTH. 


ings  of  all  the  saints  in  that  confer- 
ence. Elder  Eldredge  will  retain  the 
Presidency  of  the  conference  until 
his  departure,  after  which  Elder  Fair's 
appointment  will  be  in  force. 

We  would  suggest  to  Elder  Farr 
the  propriety  of  proceeding  to  St. 
Louis,  as  soon  as  convenient,    in  or- 


der that  he  may  become  acquainted, 
by  confering  with  Elder  Eldredge, 
with  the  nature  of  the  duties  assigned 
him. 

ORSON  PRATT, 

President  of  the  Saints  in  the 
U    S.  and  British  Provinces. 
Washington  City,  D.  C,  Feb.  20,  1854. 


FORMATION  OF  THE  EARTH: 

ITS  DIVISION  INTO     ISLANDS   AND    CONTINENTS ITS  RESTORATION  TO 

ITS  ANTEDILUVIAN  CONDITION. 

BY    THE     EDITOR. 


There  has  been  much  speculation 
in  relation  to  the  ancient  condition 
of  our  globe.  And  from  many  facts, 
connected  with  the  geological  forma- 
tions of  the  earth's  crust,  it  ha>  been 
concluded  that  the  land  and  water 
have  more  than  once  changed  places. 
Upon  mountains  and  high  elevations 
are  frequently  found  shells  and  other 
remains  of  marine  inhabitants  in  cir- 
cumstances where  it  would  seem  to 
preclude  all  possibility  of  their  having 
been  deposited  through  human  agen- 
cy. It  seems  to  be  almost  certain, 
then,  that  the  dry  land  and  even  the 
highest  elevations  of  our  globe,  have, 
at  some  former  period,  been  sub- 
merged beneath  the  sea,  and  have 
formed  the  bed  of  the  ocean. 

Many  geological  speculations  have 
been  put  forth  to  account  for  the 
great  changes  that  have  happened  in 
the  surface  strata  of  the  earth.  But 
it  is  not  our  intention  to  examine  the 
probability  or  improbability  of  those 
conjectures;  but  merely  to  give  some 
few  facts  from  divine  revelation  to 
show  that  the  present  geological  con- 
ditions of  our  globe,  are  not,  in  their 
general  characteristics,  the  result  of 
slow  and  gradual  change- ;  but  the  ef- 
fects of  sudden  convulsions  and  catas- 
trophes under  the  control  and  super- 
intendence of  that  Al-powerful  Being 
who  formed  all  things. 

As  the  elements  of  all  worlds  were 
not  created,  but  are  eternal,  and  as 
they  have  always  be.n  the  tabernacle 


or  dwelling  place  of  God,  they  must 
have  eternally  been  acted  upon  by 
His  spirit;  consequently  must  have 
passetl  through  an  endless  series  of 
operations  without  beginning.  Instead 
of  seeking  to  trace  out  evidences  of  a 
beginning  to  the  elements,  we  shall 
at  once  pronounce  them  eternal  from 
the  fact  that  we  have  no  account  of 
their  creation  from  nothing,  for  God 
himself  must  be  an  eternal  substance  : 
and  it  is  just  as  reasonable  to  believe 
that  all  the  other  elements  which  are 
His  tabernacle,  are  eternal,  as  to  admit, 
as  we  are  compelled  to  do,  the  eterni- 
ty of  His  substance. 

How  many  thousands  of  millions  of 
times  the  elements  of  our  globe  have 
been  organized  and  disorganized ;  or 
how  many  millions  of  shapes  or  forms 
the  elements  have  been  thrown  into  in 
their  successive  organizations  and  dis- 
organizations ;  or  how  widely  the  par- 
tides  have  been  diffused  through 
boundless  space;  or  how  many  dif 
ferent  worlds  these  particles  have,  at 
one  time  and  another,  formed  compo- 
nent parts  ;  or  how  long  they  have 
been  parts  of  the  solar  system  ;  or  how 
long  that  system  itself  has  formed  a 
branch  of  our  stellar  heavens — is  un- 
known to  us  mortals.  We  can  only 
go  back  to  the  organization  of  our 
present  globe — to  the  time  when  "the 
morning  stars  sang  together  and  all 
the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy." 
This  is  only  one  link  in  the  endless 
chain — only  one   grand  event  in  a  se- 


FORMATION  OF  THE  EARTH. 


249 


ries  without  beginning.  But  this  event 
was  sudden,  not  the  effects  of  slow 
and  imperceptible  changes,  operating 
for  an  indefini:e  number  of  ages. — 
Jehovah  spake — the  elements  came 
rushing  together,  not  by  their  own 
power,  but  under  the  action  of  the 
self-moving  forces  of  His  Spirit,  asso- 
ciated with  the  particles  to  be  moved. 
That  this  all-powerful  spirit  perform- 
ed its  operations  in  a  definite  and  fixed 
manner,  according  to  certain  prescrib- 
ed laws,  there  is  no  doubt.  And  if 
any  of  our  modern  Philosophers  had 
been  present  on  that  grand  occasion, 
they  undoubtedly  would  have  beheld 
every  particle  moving  toward  the  great 
common  centre  with  a  resultant  force, 
varying  inversely  as  the  square  of  its 
distance  from  every  other  particle. — 
They  would  have  called  it  the  law  of 
gravitation  :  while  those  better  ac- 
quainted with  the  origin  of  the  force 
would  have  called  it  the  law  by  which 
the  Spirit  of  God  moves  together  the 
particles  of  matter. 

We  are  not  to  suppose  that  these 
elements,  before  they  were  collected, 
were  formed  into  solid  masses  of 
rocks  and  other  hard  substances  :  and 
that  these  came  rushing  together — 
rocks  being  piled  on  rocks,  breaking, 
crashing,  and  rending  into  millions  of 
fragments.  But  no  doubt  through  the 
operation  of  antecedent  forces,  there 
had  been  a  complete  disorganization 
or  dissolution  of  the  bodies,  composed 
of  these  elements  in  that  prior  state  of 
existence  anteiior  to  the  foundation  of 
the  present  globe  :  this  being  the 
case,  the  elements  being  separate,  and 
apart,  and  widely  diffused,  were  in  a 
condition  to  come  together  in  a  state 
of  particles,  instead  of  aggregate  mass- 
es. These  particles,  under  the  law  of 
force  ordained,  would  collect  in  the 
form  of  a  sphere,  arranging  themselves 
according  to  their  specific  gravities  in 
strata  at  different  distances  from  the 
centre. 

If  these  particles,  while  collecting 
from  the  surrounding  spaces,  were  un- 
der the  influence  of  no  foreign  forces, 
they  would  form  a  perfect  sphere, 
having  no  tendency  to  rotate;  but  if 
they  were  disturbed  by  their  gravita- 


tion towards  foreign  bodies,  they 
would,  at  the  time  of  their  contact 
with  the  central  nucleus,  strike  the 
surface  of  the  same  obliquely,  which 
would  give  rise  to  a  rotatory  move- 
ment :  and  this  rotation  would  change 
the  form  of  the  nucleus  from  that  of  a 
sphere  to  a  spheroid ;  and  the  oblate- 
ness  or  eccentricity  of  the  spheroid 
would  depend  upon  the  final  resultant 
velocitv  of  the  rotation  at  the  lime 
that  the  particles  were  all  collected. 

In  the  morning  of  our  creation  the 
gathering  together  of  the  particles 
was  accomplished  under  such  regu- 
lar, harmonious  and  systematic  laws, 
that  there  were  no  elevations  of  the 
land  above  the  water.  All  the  suc- 
cessive strata  seemed  to  have  ar- 
ranged themselves  in  a  perfect  spher- 
oidal form,  conforming  to  the  laws  of 
gravity  and  rotation,  as  if  they  had 
been  a  fluid  substance.  So  perfect  was 
this  arrangement,  that  the  land  was 
completely  enveloped  in  a  flood  of 
water:  no   portion  thereof  was  seen. 

But  soon  the  commandment  came 
for  the  waters  to  be  gathered  together 
into  one  place,  and  for  the  dry  or  solid 
land  to  appear.  This  great  event  was 
unquestionably  brought  about  under  a 
system  of  fixed  laws,  no  less  definite 
than  that  of  gravitation;  but  perhaps 
not  so  well  comprehended  by  man. 
The  Spirit  of  God  in  association  with 
the  elements,  not  only  produces  all 
the  phenomena  of  gravitation,  but 
also  causes  the  elements  to  act  upon 
each  other,  cohesively  and  chemical- 
ly, when  the  particles  are  brought  in- 
sensibly near  to  each  other.  It  could 
hardly  be  expected,  therefore,  that 
such  a  great  mass  of  elements  could 
be  brought  together  from  the  surround- 
ing spaces,  without  producing  chem- 
ical operations  of  such  force  and 
power  as  to  disturb  the  whole  globe. 
Such  forces  would  cause  the  upheaval 
of  the  dry  land  in  some  places,  and  a 
corresponding  depression  in  others,  to 
which  thwa  ters  would  rush;  or  the 
dry  landmight  be  made  to  appear, 
and  the  waters  be  gathered  together, 
by  a  very  different  process,  namely, 
by  a  variation  of  the  period  of  the 
earth's  rotation. 


250 


ITS  DIVISON  INTO  ISLANDS    AND  CONTINENTS. 


The  original  position  of  the  land 
and  water  in  regard  to  the  surface  of 
the  earth,  as  it  existed  immediately 
after  their  separation,  we  have  no 
means  of  determining  only  by  revela 
tion.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  it 
was  entirely  different  from  the  present 
arrangement;  and  that  it  remained  so 
sufficiently  long  for  extensive  marine 
deposits  to  be  formed,  which,  by  the 
great  eruptions  and  changes  that  have 
since  taken  place,  exhibit  themselves 
in  the  interior  of  continents,  and  in 
locations  highly  elevated  above  the 
sea  level. 

From  the  revelations  which  God 
has  given,  there  is  no  doubt  but  there 
has  been  a  most  wonderful  change. 
By  them  we  learn  that  the  Eastern 
and  Western  Continents  were  one ; 
whilst  the  waters  occupied  the  polar 
regions  of  our  globe.  America,  Eu- 
rope, Asia,  Africa,  and  many  Islands 
of  the  sea,  were  all  one  land.  The 
dividing  of  the  earth  into  continents 
and  islands,  was  mostly  accomplished 
in  the  days  of  Peleg,  who  was  born 
101  years  after  the  flood,  and  died 
339  years  after  that  memorable  de- 
struction. Many  changes  were  made 
upon  the  earth  in  the  days  of  Enoch  : 
and  no  doubt  the  flood  occasioned 
still  greater-,  but  we  must  look  to  the 
days  of  Peleg  for  the  division  of  the 
earth  into  continents  and  islands,  and 
the  letting  in  of  the  waters  upon  the 
equatorial  regions.  Since  the  grand 
division  of  the  earth,  many  great 
changes  have  happened  to  the  various 
divisions  of  land  by  volcanic  action 
and  earthquakes;  the  greatest  of  which 
transpired  at  the  crucifixion  of  Christ, 
when  all  the  face  of  this  land  was 
broken  up  and  changed  ;  many  moun- 
tains becoming  valleys,  and  many  val- 
leys becoming  mountains. 

Without  further  revelation  it  is  im- 
possible for  us  to  give  any  thing  like 
a  correct  idea  of  the  geographical 
condition  of  the  earth  before  the  days 
of  Peleg.  Some  of  its  general  features 
may  be  very  correctly  determined 
from  the  following  revelation,  con- 
cerning the  second  coming  of  Christ, 
which  reads  thus : 

"  Prepare  ye  for  the  coming  of  the 


Bridegroom  ;  go  ye,  go  ye  out  to  meet 
Him,  for  behold,  He  shall  stand  upon 
the  Mount  of  Olivet,  and  upon  the 
mighty  ocean,  even  the  great  deep, 
and  upon  the  islands  of  the  sea,  and 
upon  the  land  of  Zion ;  and  He  shall 
utter  His  voice  out  of  Zion,  and  He 
shall  speak  from  Jerusalem,  and  His 
voice  shall  be  heard  among  all  people, 
and  it  shall  be  a  voice  as  the  voice  of 
many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  a 
great  thunder  which  shall  break  down 
the  mountains,  and  the  valleys  shall 
not  be  found;  He  shall  command  the 
great  deep,  and  it  shall  be  driven  back 
into  the  north  countries,  and  the  is- 
lands shall  become  one  land,  and  the 
land  of  Jerusalem  and  the  land  of  Zion 
shall  be  turned  back  into  their  own 
place,  and  the  earth  shall  be  like  as  it 
was  in  the  days  before  it  was  divided. 
And  the  Lord,  even  the  Saviour,  shall 
stand  in  the  midst  of  His  people,  and 
shall  reign  over  all  flesh."  (Doc. 
and  Gov.,  108  :  5.) 

The  great  deep  is  to  be  driven  into 
the  north  countries — the  islands  are 
to  become  one  land — the  land  of  Jeru- 
salem and  the  land  of  Zion  (meaning 
the  Eastern  and  Western  Continents) 
are  to  be  turned  back  into  their  own 
place,  and  the  earth  to  be  restored 
to  its  ancient  geographical  position. 
John  the  revelator  prophesies  of  the 
same  convulsions,  and  says  that  "ev- 
ery mountain  and  island  were  moved 
out  of  their  places."  He  saw  that 
when  the  seventh  angel  poured  out 
his  vial  of  the  wrath  of  God  that 
"There  were  voices,  and  thunders, 
and  lightnings  ;  and  there  was  a  great 
earthquake,  such  as  was  not  since 
men  were  upon  the  earth,  so  mighty 
an  earthquake  and  so  great.  And  the 
great  city  was  divided  into  three  parts, 
and  the  cities  of  the  nations  fell:  and 
great  Babylon  came  in  remembrance 
before  God  to  give  unto  her  the  cup 
of  the  wine  of  the  fierceness  of  His 
wrath.  And  every  island  fled  away 
and  the  mountains  were  not  found." 
Hev.  16:  17-20. 

The  same  tremendous  convulsion 
is  predicted  by  Isaiah  (24  :  17-20)  in 
the  following  language:  — 

"  Fear,  and   the  pit,  and  the  snare 


ITS  RESTORATION  TO  ITS  ANTEDILUVIAN  CONDITION. 


251 


are  upon  thee,  O  inhabitant  of  the 
earth.  Am!  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that 
he  who  fleeth  from  the  noise  of  the 
fear  shall  fall  into  the  pit ;  and  he 
that  cometh  up  out  of  the  midst  of 
the  pit  shall  be  taken  in  the  snare  : 
for  the  windows  from  on  high  are 
open,  and  the  foundations  of  the  earth 
do  shake.  The  earth  is  utterly  bro- 
ken down,  the  earth  is  clean  dissolved, 
the  earth  is  moved  exceedingly ;  the 
earth  shall  reel  to  and  fro,  like  a 
drunkard,  and  shall  be  removed  like  a 
cottage ;  and  the  transgression  thereof 
shall  be  heavy  upon  it ;  and  it  shall 
fall,  and  not  rise  again." 

The  convulsion  of  the  earth  at  the 
time  of  its  restoration  to  its  antedilu 
vian  condition,  will  exceed  all  former 
convulsions,  not  excepting  the  great 
one  which  took  place  at  the  time  of 
its  division  into  continents  and  islands; 
hence,  John  describes  it  as  the  great- 
est earthquake  that  hail  ever  happened 
since  men  were  upon  the  earth,  not 
only  affecting  the  surface  by  casting 
down  mountains,  and  exalting  valleys, 
but  causing  the  very  continents  and 
islands  themselves  to  flee  away  ;  they 
are  not  annihilated,  but  as  John  says, 
"moved  out  of  their  places."  It  will 
not  be  merely  the  exterior  strata  of 
the  earth  that  will  be  broken  up,  but 
the  very  "foundations,"  as  Isaiah  says, 
shall  shake.  This  latter-day  earth- 
quake will  be  attended  with  intense 
heat,  melting  and  separating  the  very 
elements,  or  as  Isaiah  says,  "Th^ 
earth  is  clean  dissolve  d  ;  "  and  as  the 
Psalmist  predicts  :  "  A  fire  goeth  be 
fore  Him.  and  burnetii  up  His  enemies 
round  about.  His  lightnings  enlight- 
ened the  world  :  the  earth  saw  and 
trembled.  The  hills  melted  li'<e  wax 
at  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  at  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  of  the  whole 
earth.  The  heavens  declare  His  right- 
eousness, and  all  the  people  see   His 


Jory."  (Ps.  97:  3-6.)  From  this  pas- 
sage we  learn  that  this  intense  fire  will 
attend  the  presence  of  the  Lord  at  His 
coming,  and  appears  to  be  of  the  nature 
of  "  lightning,"  which  is  to  "  enlighten 
the  whole  world."  We  can  form  some 
idea  of  its  intensity  from  the  fact  of  its 
"  melting  hills  like  wax,"  and  "  dis- 
solving the  earth." 

If  we  had  an  antediluvian  map,  we 
should  be  able  to  point  out  the  future 
geographical  positions  of  the  land  and 
water  as  it  will  exist  during  the  Millen- 
nium ;  or  in  other  words,  an  antedilu- 
vian map  would  answer  very  well  the 
purpose  of  a  Millennial  map.  For  the 
earth  is  to  be  restored  to  its  former 
condition. 

In  order  to  maintain  the  present 
ellipticity  of  the  earth,  and  its  present 
diurnal  period  of  rotation,  and  at  the 
same  time  retain  the  seas  in  the  polar 
regions,  it  will  be  necessary  that  the 
solid  portions,  now  submerged  be- 
neath the  equatorial  sea,  should  be 
upheaved  or  lifted  up.  This  could 
not  be  done  without  producing  a  cor- 
responding depression  around  the 
poles,  and  the  waters  would  thus, 
under  the  present  laws  of  gravitation, 
be  obliged  to  rush  from  the  equatorial 
to  the  polar  regions.  Although  it  is 
done  by  the  direct  command  of  God, 
yet  He  generally  accomplishes  His 
purposes  through  the  medium  of  laws 
which  are  in  operation.  For  aught 
we  know  the  raising  up  oc  the  equa- 
torial bed  of  the  ocean  may  be  ac- 
complished by  the  internal  forces  of 
the  earth,  with  which  we  are  entirely 
unacquainted,  only  as  we  now  and 
then  behold  their  effects  in  the  earth- 
quake and  volcano.  But  whatever  be 
those  internal  forces,  it  is  certain  that 
they  will  be  controlled  intelligently 
so  as  to  arrange  the  continents  and 
islands  in  their  ancient  position. 


252 


REPENTANCE. 


REPENTANCE. 


BY    THE     EDITOR. 


( Concluded.) 


Many  other  evils  might  be  men- 
tioned of  which  it  is  needful  for  you 
to  repent;  but  as  you  have  much  of 
the  word  of  God  pointing  them  out 
to  you,  it  is  not  necessary  for  me  in 
this  article  to  describe  every  particu- 
lar evil.  Many  of  you  are  guilty  of 
blaspheming  that  Holy  Being  who  gave 
you  existence,  and  of  continually  using 
his    name  in  vain.     Many  of  you  are 


their  crimes  have  been  exposed,  or 
that  they  have  been  prevented  from 
a  realization  of  the  happiness  which 
they  anticipated.  Tins  is  the  sor- 
row of  the  world  ;  and  it  is  of  the 
same  nature  as  the  sorrowing  of  the 
evil  spirits  in  hell :  they  are  sorry 
when  they  fail  to  accomplish  their 
malicious  designs  against  God  and 
His    people.     This    kind  of  sorrow, 


guilty    of  defrauding   and    taking  the    worketh  death. 

advantage  of  your  neighbor;  of  bear-       Others  have  a    species  of  sorrow, 


ing  false  witness  ;  of  slandering,  re 
viling,  and  speaking  evil  of  one  anoth 
er  ;  of  oppressing   the  poor  ;   and  of 


arising  through  fear.  They  are  con- 
vinced that  they  have,  in  numerous 
instances,  violated    the    law  of  God, 


being  lifted  up  in  great  pride;  and  of  and  they  greatly  fear  the  consequences 
withholding  your  riches  and  your 
substance  from  the  widow  and*  the 
fatherless,  and  from  the  poor  and 
needy,  while  you  and  your  false  teach- 
ers revel  in  the  luxuries  of  the  earth, 
and  adorn  your  chapels,  and  your 
synagogues,  and  your  churches  with 
all  manner  of  costly  ornaments  :  and 
you  clothe  yourselves  in  silks  and  sat- 
ins, and  in  fine  twined  linen,  and  re- 
member not  that  God  has  given  these 
things  to  you,  that  you  might  not  on- 
ly be  blessed  yourselves,  but  that  you 
might  bless  the  sick  and  afflicted. — 
Of  all  these  things,  and  of  many  oth- 
er evils,  you  must  repent,  or  you  can 
in  no  wise  inherit  the  khwlom  of  God; 


in  the  great  judgment  day  ;  but  yet 
they  feel  no  disposition  to  reform. — 
They  are  sorry  that  there  is  a  law  of 
God,  or  a  punishment  in  the  world 
to  come.  They  love  wickedness,  and 
are  sorry  that  they  must  one  day  give 
an  account  before  God  for  all  their 
evil  deeds.  They  are  sorry  that  they 
cannot  continue  to  cheat  and  defraud 
their  neighbor,  and  heap  up  riches, 
without  being  harassed  with  the  idea 
of  future  punishment.  Many  are  con- 
vinced in  their  hearts  that  the  Book 
of  Mormon  is  a  djvine  revelation  : 
and  they  are  sorry  that  God  should 
again  speak  to  man  ;  they  are  sorry 
that  there  is   not  some  more  popular 


for  the  cries  of  the  poor  and  needy  j  way  of  being  saved  ;  they  are  sorry 
will  ascend  up  before  God  against  you.  |  that  they  must  subject  themselves   to 

Having  set  forth  the  evils  or' which 
you  are  guilty,  we  now  come  to  the 
second  part  of  our  subject,  namely — 
The  nature  of  the  sorrow  connected 
with  true  repentance.  There  are  dif- 
ereut  kinds  of  sorrow.  Thieves,  rob- 
bers, murderers,  adulterers,  &c,  are 
frequently  sorrowful  because  they 
have  been  detected  in  the  crimes  which 
they  have  committed.  They  are  not 
sorrowful,  because  they  have  sinned 
against  God,  or  because  they  have  in- 
jured others;    but  they  are  sorry  that 


the  scorn  and  ridicule  of  the  world 
in  order  to  receive  the  message  which 
God  has  now  sent  into  the  world. — 
Finally,  there  are  many  things  which 
create  sorrow  in  the  world. 

But  the  sorrow  that  is  acceptable 
in  the  sight  of  God  is  that  which  leads 
to  true  repentance,  or  reformation  of 
conduct :  it  is  that  sorrow  which  arises, 
not  only  through  fear  of  punishment, 
but  through  a  proper  sense  of  the  evil 
consequences  of  sin  ;  it  is  that  sorrow 
which  arises  from  a  knowledge  of  our 


REPENTANCE. 


253 


own  unworthiness,  and  from  a  con- 
trast of  our  own  degraded  anil  fallen 
condition  with  the  mercy,  goodness, 
and  holiness  of  God.  We  are  sorry 
that  we  should  ever  have  condescen 
(led  to  do  evil.  We  are  sorry  that  we 
should  ever  have  rendered  ourselves 
so  unworthy  hefore  God  ;  we  are  sor- 
ry at  the  weakness  of  our  own  fallen 
nature.  This  kind  of  sorrow  will  lead 
us  to  obey  every  commandment  of 
God;  it  will  make  us  humble  and 
childlike  in  our  dispositions  ;  it  will 
impart  unto  us  meekness  and  lowli 
ness  of  mind  ;  it  will  cause  our  hearts 
to  be  broken  and  our  spirits  to  be  con- 
trite; it  will  cause  us  to  watch,  with 
great  carefulness,  every  word,  thought, 
and  deed ;  it  will  call  up  our  past 
dealings  with  mankind,  and  we  will 
feel  most  anxious  to  make  restitution 
to  all  whom  we  may  have,  in  any  way, 


an  particular  benefit,  unless  we  were 
determined  to  forsake  them  Without  a 
covenant  or  promise  before  God  that 
we  will  forsake  sin  with  an  unsliak'  n 
determination,  that  we  will  henceforth 
yield  to  no  evil,  our  confession  and  re- 
pentance will  be  vain,  and  we  must 
not  expect  to  be  pardoned  ;  for  the 
Holy  One  of  Israel  cannot  be  deceiv- 
ed, and  will  not  pardon  those  who 
merely  confess  their  sins,  and  still 
make  no  resolution  to  forsake  them  ; 
a  confession  of  sins,  unaccompanied 
with  the  resolution  to  forsake,  is  a 
solemn  mockery  before  Him  and  will 
add  to  our  guilt,  and  increase  ihe  dis- 
pleasure of  heaven  against  us.  There 
are  many  who  are  afraid  to  make  a 
promise  that  they  will  sin  no  more, 
lest  they  should  break  it.  Now  such 
thoughts  are  not  right ;  for  without 
entering'    into  such    a  covenant,    how 


injured,  it  will  lead  us  to  sympathize  j  can  such  ones  expect  to  be  forgiven 
with  the  poor  and  needy,  and,  if  we  I  and  obtain  salvation  ?  If  you  were  in 
have    riches,   to  administer    to    their  I  a    house,    enveloped  with  flames,  and 


wants ;  it  will  cause  us  10  visit  the 
sick  and  afflicted,  and  to  do  all  that 
the  gospel  requires  to  alleviate  their 
sufferings :  these,  and  many  other 
good  things,  are  the  results  of  a  God- 
ly sorrow  for  sin.  This  is  repent- 
ance not  in  word  but  in  deed  ;  this  is 
the  sorrow  with  which  the  heavens 
are  well  pleased. 

Third,  The  confrssion  necessary  for 
the  penitent,  in  order  to  render  him 
sidl  more  acceptable  in  the  sight  of 
God,  is  something  that  should  not  be 
overlooked  by  those  who  are  desirous, 
not  only  to  reform,  but  to  obtain  for- 
giveness of  past  sins.  Though  we  may 
break  r-ff  from  our  sins,  and  reform 
our  conduct,  yet  we  cannot  expect  a 
forgiveness  of  our  past  sins  w  thout 
a  humble  confession  of  the  same.  If 
we  have  trespassed  against  any  of  our 
neighbors,  it  is  our  duty,  not  only  to 
make  restitution,  but  to  make  a  suita- 
ble confession  a-  d  seek  their  forgive- 
ness. We  should  also  confess  our 
sins  to  God  with  a  Godly  sorrow  and 
contrition  of  spiri'. 

And  Fourth,  this  confession  should 


had  the  privilege  of  escape,  w<  uld 
you  still  remain  for  fear  that  some  fu- 
ture evil  might  happen  to  you?  No: 
you  would  gladly  accept  the  only  pos- 
sible means  of  safety.  Oh,  then,  why 
suffer  the  devil  to  cheat  you  out  of 
the  only  possible  means  of  salvation 
through  fear  of  some  imaginary  evil 
which  you  have  the  power,  through 
the  grace  of  God,  to  ward  off'?  If 
you  linger  behind,  and  enter  into  no 
covenant  with  God  for  fear  you  may 
break  it,  you  are  sure  to  perish  in 
vour  sins.  Whereas,  if  you  exercise 
your  agency  and  repent,  entering  into 
a  solemn  covenant  to  sin  no  more,  the 
grace  of  God  will  be  sufficient  for  you 
to  sustain  you  in  the  hour  of  tempta- 
tion and  trial. 

We  have  now  pointed  out  all  the 
prominent  principles,  connected  with 
true  repentance.  And  it  can  easily  be 
seen  by  every  honest  heart,  that  God 
requires  mankind,  first  to  seek  dili- 
gently to  discern  good  from  evil  and 
to  ascertain  what  sins  and  evils  they 
are  guilty  of;  secondly,  to  be  exercised 
with  a  Godly  sorrow    that  they  have 


be  accompanied  with  a  promise  and  I  ever  sinned  against  so  great  and  good 
determination  to  si?i  no  more.  To  con- ]  a  Being  as  God:  thirdly,  to  make 
less  our  sins  before  God  would    be  of:  suitable  confession  before  God  for  all 


254 


BAPTISM  FOR  THE  REMISSION  OF   SINS. 


past  sins  committed,  and  lastly,  such  a 
confession  must  be  accompanied  with  a 
solemn  covenant  or  promise  to  sin  no 
more;  and  the  heart  should  be  fixed 
and  immovable  in  this  covenant.  All 
persons  who  will  do  these  things  will 
have  a  measure  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ 
resting  upon  them,  imparling  humili- 
ty, and  meekness,  and  lowliness  of 
heart.  But  still  this  repentance  does 
not  guarantee  to  them  a  remission  of 
sins;  it  only  prepares  the  heart  to 
obey  properly  a  great  and  holy  ordi- 
nance which  God  has  instituted  ex- 
pressly for  the  remission  of  sins.  We 
mean  the  ordinance  of  Baptism.  As 
this  holy  ordinance  is  of  so  much 
importance,  and  instituted  expressly 
for  the  benefit  of  penitent  believers, 
that  they  may  obtain  forgiveness  of 
all  past  sins,  we  feel  it  our  duty  to 
say  a  few  words  on  the  nature  of  this 
institution.  But,  in  the  meantime, 
before  we  enter  into  its  investigation, 


permit  us  to  exhort  you,  my  dear 
reader,  to  repent  of  every  evil  which 
we  have  pointed  out  to  you  in  this 
article,  and  of  every  other  sin  which 
you  may  be  guilty  of.  Repent  with 
all  your  heart.  Be  determined  that 
you  will  neither  eat,  nor  sleep,  until 
you  have  commenced  the  infinitely 
important  work.  Remember  how 
much  you  have  at  stake — that  it  is 
no  less  than  the  eternal  happiness  of 
the  soul,  eternal  life  beyond  the  grave. 
Oh,  how  many  millions  have  gone 
down  to  their  graves  in  an  impenitent 
state  !  you  may  in  an  unexpected 
moment  be  cut  off  also.  Oh  then  give 
heed  to  the  warning  voice ;  let  your 
heart  be  humble,  and  your  spirit  be 
contrite ;  confess  your  sins  before 
God,  and  forsake  them,  and  prepare 
yourself  in  all  things  to  receive  for- 
giveness through  the  ordinance  of 
Baptism. 


BAPTISM  FOR  THE  REMISSION  OF  SINS. 


BY    THE     EDITOR. 


Having  treated  upon  the  subject  of 
Faith  and  Repentance,  in  the  preced- 
ing Nos.  of  this  volume,  we  will  now 
proceed  to  show  the  way  in  which 
the  truly  penitent  believing  soul  may 
be  pardoned  of  all  his  past  sins.  It 
has  pleased  God  to  ordain  Baptism 
or  Immersion  in  water,  as  the  medium 
through  which  the  truly  penitent 
should  be  forgiven  of  all  the  sins  he 
has  com  mi  ted.  Baptism  does  not  atone 
for  sins,  but  it  is  an  institution  grant- 
ed to  man,  because  of  the  atonement 
of  Christ.  The  atonement  is  made 
by  the  blood  of  Christ,  but  man  can- 
not receive  the  blessings  of  the  atone- 
ment legally  and  fully  without  strict- 
ly complying  with  the  conditions  or- 
dained of  God.  One  of  the  choice 
blessings  purchas  d  by  the  precious 
blood  of  Christ  is  the  forgiveness  of 
sins,  but  all  mankind  do  not  have  their 
sins  forgiven,  but  only  such  as  claim 
the  purchased  blessings  by  complying 
with  the  requirement.     Now  we  have 


already  shown  that  the  first  require- 
ment is  to  have  Faith  or  belief  in  the 
words  of  Christ  and  his  atonement  ; 
and  that  the  second  requirement  is  to 
repent  with  a  humble  and  contr  te 
heart,  entering  into  a  covenant  to  for- 
sake all  sin.  Both  these  conditions 
may  be  strictly  complied  with,  and  yet 
past  sins  remain  un forgiven.  Why  ? 
Because  the  individual,  as  yet,  has 
not  complied  with  the  third  condition 
through  which  forgiveness  is  granted. 
By  complying  with  the  first  two  con- 
ditions, he  has  received  a  measure  of 
the  spirit  of  Christ  by  which  his  heart 
is  melted  down  into  humble  contri- 
tion :  This  spirit  of  meekness  and 
1  nvliness  of  heart  is  imparted  to  him 
as  a  preparation  to  receive  thf>  holy 
ordinance  of  Baptism  acceptably  in 
the  sight  of  God  ;  and  when  this  or- 
dinance is  complied  with  by  the  be- 
lieving penitent,  th<  n  comes  the  Re- 
mission of  sins ;  all  former  trans- 
gressions  are  blotted  out.     Oh  what 


BAPTISM  FOR  THE  REMISSION  OF   SINS 


255 


joy  now  fills  the  heart !  He  is  indeed, 
anew  creature!  born  of  water !  and 
adopted  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
Son  and  Holy  Ghost  into  the  family 
of  Christ!  one  of  the  sons  of  God  ! 
his  sins,  though  many,  are  freely  par- 
doned !  they  no  longer  stand  recorded 
against  him  !  Oh  who  would  not  re- 
pent and  be  baptized  to  receive  so 
great  a  blessing,  and  to  be  filled  with 
such  great  joy  !  Alas  !  there  are  many 
who  care  not  for  these  things  ;  and 
the  forgiveness  of  sins  and  the  joys  of 
heaven,  are  treated  with  indifference  ; 
and  they  go  down  to  their  graves  in 
impenitence  without  any  preparation 
for  the  great  judgment. 

Baptism  is  just  as  essential  to  sal- 
vation, as  Faith  and  Repentance. — ■ 
Without  being  immersed  in  water  no 
man  can  enter  into  the  fulness  of  Ce- 
lestial glory  :  for  baptism  is  instituted 
for  the  remission  of  sins  ;  and  ifaper- 
son  docs  not  take  the  necessary  steps 
to  obtain  pardon  of  sins,  of  course, 
he  cannot  be  saved  in  the  kingdom  of 
God.  Jesus  did  not  shed  hi?  blood 
to  save  us  in  our  sins,  but  to  open  a 
way  whereby  man  might  obtain  for- 
giveness through  Faith,  Repentance, 
and  Baptism  :  and  no  man  can  be 
saved  who  neglects  either  of  these 
principles.  Many  have  been  taught 
to  seek  forgiveness  by  prayer,  and 
have  been  told  that  baptism  being  on- 
ly an  outward  ordinance  would  not 
avail  any  thing,  and  that  it  is  to  be  ad-  j 
ministered  to  those  only  who  have  j 
already  received  forgiveness:  these 
are  doctrines  of  false  teachers,  and 
they  are  the  wicked  traditions  hand- 
ed down  by  apostate  Christendom. 
Baptism  is  a  condition  of  forgive- 
ness, and  to  teach  mankind  to  seek 
for  pardon  in  any  other  way  than  the 
one  set  forth  in  the  gospel,  is  a 
wicked  perversion  of  truth,  and  all 
such  false  teachers  will,  if  they  do 
not  repent,  be  sent  down  to  hell;  for 
cursed  be  that  man  or  angel  who 
preaches  another  gospel,  or  perverts 
the  true  gospel  of  Christ. 

Baptism  in  order  to  be  acceptable 
in  the  sight  of  God  must  be  adminis- 
tered by  a  man  ordained  of  God  and 
authorized  of  Jesus  Christ,  otherwise, 


it  will  be  a  solemn  mockery  before 
God,  and  highly  sinful  in  His  sight. 
But  who  in  this  generation  have  au- 
thority to  baptize  ?  None  but  those 
who  have  received  authority  in  the 
church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  day 
Saints  :  all  other  churches  are  en- 
tirely destitute  of  all  authority  from 
God  ;  and  any  person  who  receives 
Baptism  or  the  Lord's  supper  from 
their  hands  will  highly  oflend  God  ; 
for  he  looks  upon  them  as  the  most 
corrupt  of  all  people.  Both  Catho- 
lics and  Proterlants  are  nothing  less 
than  the  "whore  of  Babylon"  whom 
the  Lord  denounces  by  the  mouth  of 
John  the  Revelator  as  having  cor- 
rupted all  the  earth  by  their  fornica- 
tions and  wickedness.  And  any  per- 
son who  shall  be  so  wicked  as  to  re- 
ceive a  holy  ordinance  of  the  gospel 
from  the  ministers  of  any  of  tin  se 
apostate  churches  will  be  sent  dowrn 
to  hell  with  them,  unless  they  repent 
of  the  unholy  and  impious  act.  If 
any  penitent  believer  desires  to  obtain 
forgiveness  of  sins  through  baptism, 
let  him  beware  of  having  any  thing  to 
do  with  the  churches  of  apostate 
Christendom,  lest  he  perish  in  the 
au  ful  plagues  and  judgments,  denoun- 
ced against  them.  The  only  per- 
sons among  all  nations,  kindreds, 
tongues,  and  people  who  have  author- 
ity from  Jesus  Christ  to  administer 
any  gospel  ordinance  are  those  called 
and  authorized  among  the  Latter-day 
Saints.  Before  the  restoration  of  the 
church  of  Christ  to  the  earth  in  the 
year  1830,  there  have  been  no  people 
on  the  earth  for  many  generations 
possessing  authority  from  God  to  min- 
ister gospel  ordinances.  We  a^ain  re- 
peat, beware  of  the  hypocritical  false 
teachers  and  imposters  of  Babylon. 

Another  great  abomination  practi- 
ced among  Christendom  is  the  Bap- 
tism of  infants  and  little  children. — 
This  wicked  doctrine  was  invented 
by  the  devil,  in  order  to  blind  the 
minds  of  the  children  of  men,  and 
make  them  think  that  infant  baptism 
is  all  sufficient,  and  that  the  baptism 
of  adults  for  the  remission  of  sins  is 
not  necessary,  provided  that  they 
were   sprinkled   in  infancy.     All   in- 


256 


NOTICE  TO  SUBSCRIBERS. 


fants  am  little  children  are  free  from 
sin,  having  been  redeemed  from  the 
fall  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  that 
too  without  any  conditions  of  Faith, 
Repentance,  or  Baptism.  All  such 
c-'/e  im  jcent  before  God,  and  are  al- 
ready prepared  to  inherit  the  kingdom 
♦if  heaven.  Therefore,  for  parents  to 
i  ave  their  little  children  bap  ized  is 
awfully  wicked  before  God;  it  is  a 
solemn  mockery  of  the  ordinances  of 
the  gospel;  and  unless  parents  re- 
pent of  this  great  wickedness,  they 
will  go  down  to  hell.  No  doubt  but 
many  have  committed  this  great  evil 
in  their  ignorance,  but  now  God 
calls  them  to  repent  of  this  evil  and 
of  every  other  sin,  and  be  immersed 


in  water  for  a  remission  of  all  their 
transgressions :  and  if  they  will  not 
do  tins,  the  sins  that  they  have  com- 
mitted in  their  ignorance,  will  be 
answered  upon  their  heads,  as  if  they 
had  done  them  with  a  knowledge  of 
the  will  of  God.  Parents  who  are 
gvilty  of  having  their  infan's  bap- 
tized must  repent  of  the  tivi  ,  >i  they 
cannot  be  saved. 

It  is  unnecessary  for  us  to  appeal 
to  the  scriptures  in  proof  of  the  doc- 
trine of  Faith,  Repentance,  and  Bap- 
tism as  taught  in  these  articles  :  for 
th.1?  we  have  already  done  in  a  series 
of  pamphlets  which  we  have  formerly 
pubiished. 


NOTICE  TO  SUBSCRIBERS. 


Our  subscribers  are  hereby  in- 
formed that  afi^r  the  publication  of  the 
sixth  number  of  the  present  volume 
of  the  Seer,  th<>  paper  will  be  discon- 
tinued, as  the  present  limited  circula- 
tion is  altogether  inadequate  to  meet 
the  necessary  expenses.  The  publi- 
cation thus  far  has  been  attended  in 
this  country  with  a  loss  of  several 
hundred  dollars.  We  will  send  to 
each  of  our  subscribers  enough  of  our 
church  publications  to  make  up  the 
balance  of  the  other  half  year's  sub- 
scription.    When  we  commenced  the 


preseni 
tl 


■<f .  wr  were  in  hopes  that 
liave  been  sufficient  in- 
te  ted  by  the  nation  to  learn 

our  \  Lines  from  our  own  publica- 
tions, instead  of  those  of  our  enemies  ; 
but  it  seems  that  they  prefer  falsehood 
to  truth ;  and  when  we  would  en- 
lighten them  and  correct  the  misstate- 
ments concerning  us,  they  choose  to 
remain  in  ignorance  and  darkness. 
We  expect  to  leave  Washington 
about  the  first  of  May  for  Utah.  All 
letters  for  us,  arriving  after  that  date, 
will  most  probably  not  be  attended  to. 
Editor. 


War, 


CONTENTS: 
241 

Foreign  Intelligence — Sam'        h  Islands, 247 

Appointment, 247 

Formation  of  the  Earth — Its  Division  into  Islands  and  Continents — Its  Restoration 

to  its  Antediluvian  Condition, 248 

Repentance, 252 

Baptism  for  the  Remission  of  Sins, 254 

Notice  to  Subscribers, 256' 


WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.  C. 

EDITED    AND    PUBLISHED    BY    ORSON    rilATT, 
•41  £1  per  annum,  invariahly  in  advance. 


(FpJ 


HE 


FIFtt 


All  yc  inhabitants  of  tlie  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  lit 
lifteth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains.— Isaiah  xvm,  3. 


Vol.  II. 


MAY,    18  54 


No.  5. 


NEW    REVELATION. 


BY    THE     EDITOR. 


There  is  no  subject  which  is  more 
ridiculed  by  the  religious  world,  at 
the  present  day,  than  that  of  New 
Revelation.  All  Christendom  profess 
to  admit  that  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Spirit,  are  still  in  existence,  and 
that  they  are  unchangeable  in  their 
attributes,  and  that  there  are  just  as 
many  angels  now  as  in  ancient  times  ; 
but  to  assert  that  any  of  these  holy 
beings  have  communicated  any  New 
Revelation  to  man  since  the  first  cen- 
tury of  the  Christian  era,  is  consider- 
ed, if  not  blasphemy,  something  near 
akin  to  it. 

Now  a  religion  that  excludes  New 
Revelation  from  its  principles,  is  just 
the  very  religion  that  suits  the  devil  : 
he  is  well  pleased  with  it.  He  cares 
not  how  moral  people  may  be,  nor 
how  genteel  and  polished  in  their  de- 
portment, nor  how  much  they  go  to 
church,  nor  how  many  prayers  they 
pretend  to  offer  up,  nor  how  pious 
they  may  be  in  every  respect,  if  they 
will  only  disbelieve  in  New  Revela- 
tion ;  for  he  knows  well  that  God  has 
nothing  to  do,  nor  never  had,  with 
any  religion  that  did  not  acknowledge 
Prophets  and  Revelators,  through 
whom  He  could  speak  and  reveal  His 
will  to  his  sons  and  daughters. 

The  devil  knows  that  God  never 
had  a  church  on  the  earth  without 
having  inspired  men  in  it.  No  other 
church  gives  him  any  uneasiness.  He 
likes  to  see  them  pray  and  be  very 


sanctimonious,  as  long  as  he  knows 
that  they  have  no  faith  in  New  Reve- 
lation. The  devil  rejoices,  and  his 
angels  are  glad,  when  they  look  over 
their  wide  spread  dominions,  and  be- 
hold countless  churches  and  svna- 
gogues  professedly  built  to  the  God 
of  ancient  revelation,  and  contemplate 
the  hundreds  of  millions  whom  they 
have  deluded  with  the  idea  that  all 
New  Revelation  is  unnecessary.  So 
long  as  the  devil  can  deceive  the 
people  with  this  anti-christian  and 
unscriptural  doctrine,  he  knows  that 
he  is  sure  of  them. 

How  well  pleased  his  satanic  ma- 
jesty must  have  been,  when  he  pre- 
vailed upon  the  "  Third  Council  of 
Carthage,"  at  the  close  of  the  fourth 
century,  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  the 
manuscript  copies  of  the  word  of  God, 
compiling  a  few  of  them  into  a  vol- 
ume, and  rejecting  all  the  others,  and 
then  passing  an  ecclesiastical  law  that 
no  other  books  or  revelations  should 
ever  be  added  to  the  canon  or  vol- 
ume. This  bound  all  their  deluded 
followers  to  reject,  in  every  succeed- 
ing generation,  every  thing  in  the  form 
of  New  Revelation.  Oh!  how  the 
hosts  of  hell  must  have  exulted  over 
their  signal  success  in  thus  cutting  off 
all  further  communication  between 
God  and  man  ! 

And  again  :  what  could  have  more 
gratified  Satan  when  he  found  that 
the  religion    of  the  Romish  Church 


258 


NEW  REVELATION. 


did  not  altogether  suit  all  the  people, 
than  to  have  them,  under  the  name  of 
Protestants,  invent  some  new  forms 
of  religion,  excluding  prophets,  and 
binding  the  people  to  believe  in  only 
the  sixty-six  books  of  the  Bible.  This 
newly  invented  religion,  inasmuch  as 
it  made  the  canon  of  scripture  full, 
and  would  in  no  wise  admit  prophets 
to  add  any  new  books  to  the  volume, 
was  just  as  acceptable  to  the  devil  as 
the  religion  of  the  Catholics  ;  for 
what  the  Catholics  did  not  catch,  the 
other  impositions  would. 

But  the  moment  that  God  sent 
angels  from  heaven  to  earth,  and 
raised  up  inspired  men,  and  once 
more  restored  the  true  Christian 
Church  to  the  earth,  the  devil,  with 
all  his  combined  armies  of  Catholics 
and  Protestants,  was  enraged.  For 
God  to  dare  restore  the  religion  of  the 
Bible  again  to  the  earth,  by  sending 
prophets  and  inspired  men,  by  giving 
visions,  and  by  sending  angels,  as  He 
did  in  all  other  ages  when  His  religion 
was  on  the  earth,  was  more  than  the 
devil  could  bear  without  making  a 
tremendous  exertion  to  put  it  down. 
To  undertake  to  put  it  down  by  scrip- 
ture, reason  or  argument,  was  entirely 
in  vain,  though  this  was  attempted  in 
some  few  instances  at  first,  but  it  al- 
ways resulted  in  the  most  disastrous 
consequences  to  the  devil's  kingdom. 
The  devil  soon  found  that  there  was 
not  the  least  shadow  of  evidence  to 
sustain  the  Catholic  and  Protestant 
imposition  against  the  doctrine  of 
continued  revelation.  This  forlorn 
hope  having  utterly  failed  him,  his 
next  and  most  successful  operation 
was  to  ridicule  and  denounce  the  doc- 
trine, and  lie  about  it,  and,  if  possible, 
to  close  the  eyes,  and  ears,  and  hearts 
of  the  people  effectually  against  it. 
But  even  in  this  thing  he  will  be  de- 
feated ;  though  he  may  for  a  time  tri- 
umph, yet  the  refuge  of  lies  shall  be 
swept  away,  and  God  will  show  unto 
the  honest  in  heart,  with  power  and 
great  glory,  that  He  is  the  same  yes- 
terday, to-day  and  for  ever,  and  that 
he  is  a  God  who  delights  to  reveal 
Himself  by  revelations,  and  dreams, 
and  visions,  and  prophecies,   by  the 


ministering  of  angels,  and  by  the  mir- 
aculous gifts  and  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  All  who  deny  these  things, 
and  do  them  away,  will  be  cut  off 
from  among  the  people,  and  be  sent 
down  to  hell  to  suffer  with  the  devil 
who  has  deceived  them,  and  by  whom 
they  have  been  led  captive  to  reject 
and  deny  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  the  powers  and  glory  of  God7s 
kingdom. 

If  tins  generation  are  asked  to  give 
a  reason  for  rejecting  all  revelation 
later  than  John  the  Revelator's  day, 
their  answer  is,  almost  universally, 
"  We  have  enough,  and  need  no 
more;''  and  we  reply,  yes,  they  have 
enough  to  send  them  to  hell,  unless 
they  will  receive  more,  when  God  in 
mercy  offers  it  to  them.  The  very 
Bible,  which  they  pretend  is  enough, 
will  rise  up  in  judgment  against  apos- 
tate Christendom,  and  condemn  them, 
because  in  it  is  taught  the  doctrine  of 
continued  revelation,  which  they  have 
the  great  wickedness  to  reject. 

But  why  is  the  devil  so  angry  with 
a  church  under  the  guidance  of  New 
Revelation  ?  Because  he  knows  that 
a  people  wdio  live  near  enough  to  the 
Lord  to  receive  information  from  Him, 
will  receive  by  that  means  a  knowl- 
edge of  all  his  cunning  plans,  and  de- 
tect the  cunning  devices  by  which  he 
has  blinded  the  nations  of  apostate 
Christendom  so  long.  To  have  the  an- 
cient and  venerated  systems  of  priest- 
craft exposed,  and  the  false  doctrines, 
which  he  has  taken  so  much  pains  to 
introduce  and  maintain  for  so  many 
centuries,  overturned  by  the  restora- 
tion of  true  Christianity  again  to  the 
earth,  is  calculated  to  moke  the  hellish 
hosts  and  all  under  their  influence, 
who  delight  in  darkness,  to  tremble 
with  anxiety  and  through  fear  of  the 
consequences. 

Fear  and  trembling  seize  upon  the 
wicked  priests,  whenever  the  sound 
of  ancient  Christianity,  with  its  reve- 
lations, prophecies,  visions  and  the 
gifts  and  powers  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
approach  iheir  neighborhood.  Their 
craft  is  in  danger — they  fear  for  their 
rotten,  corrupt  forms  of  religion — 
they  fear  that  the  people  will  get  their 


NEW  REVELATION. 


259 


eyes  open  to  discern  the  wide  differ- 
ence between  the  religion  of  the  Bible 
and  their  powerless  forms  invented  by 
the  devil  and  his  servanls— they  fear 
that  their  popularity  will  wane,  and 
their  salaries  be  decreased  or  entirely 
fail  them.  To  travel  without  purse 
or  scrip,  as  the  Latter-day  and  Form- 
er-day Saints  have  done,  they  cannot 
afford  to  do.  And  then  if  they  should 
do  so,  they  would  receive  no  reward, 
but  condemnation  for  preaching  false 
doctrines  among  the  people. 

If  they  preach  false  doctrines  they 
think  that  they  must  be  well  paid  : 
for  it  is  the  only  reward  that  they 
can  get,  and  bye-and-bye  the  end 
comes  and  they  are  hewn  down  and 
cast  into  the  fire :  their  motto,  then 
is,  to  live  grand  while  they  have  the 
chance,  and  so  long  as  they  can  de- 
lude the  nations  with  their  apostate 
forms  of  religion,  under  the  sacred 
garb  of  Christianity,  they  have  the 
prospect  of  waxing  fat  on  the  hard 
earnings  of  their  deluded  victims. 
No  wonder  then  that,  ancient  Chris- 
tianity, taught  by  the  humble  servant 
of  God,  as  the  Holy  Ghost  gives  him 
utterance,  is  like  an  arrow  to  the 
hearts  of  such  hypocritical  imposters. 
Oh  !  how  abhorrent  and  disgusting  to 
a  humble  servant  of  Christ,  and  to 
God,  and  to  all  His  holy  angels,  to 
see  Catholic  and  Protestant  ministers 
enter  their  richly  adorned  churches 
and  chapels,  and  there  pretend  to 
worship  God,  when  they  are  as  des- 
titute of  almost  every  feature  of  an- 
cient Christianity  as  the  devil  and  his 
angels.  The  days  are  not  far  distant 
when  such  base  hypocrites,  and  all 
that  will  suffer  themselves  to  be  de- 
ceived by  them,  will  be  cast  down  by 
devouring  fire,  that  their  impositions, 
and  their  hypocrisies,  and  their  cor- 
ruptions, and  all  their  filthiness  and 
abominations,  may  cease  to  come  up 
before  the  Lord  of  Hosts. 

Tremble  and  fear !  for  if  there  ever 
were  a  generation  that  had  need  to 
tremble  and  fear,  it  is  the  present. — 
Tell  about  this  being  an  enlightened 
age — an  age  of  gospel  light!  Never 
was  there  an  age  of  greater  darkness 
since  man  was  created  upon  the  earth 


so  far  as  it  regards  the  religion  of 
heaven.  It  is  the  very  age  predicted 
by  Isaiah,  the  Prophet,  when  "dark- 
ness should  cover  the  earth  and  gross 
darkness  the  people  ;  "  it  is  a  day  of 
thick  darkness — darkness  that  has 
been  accumulating  for  centuries, 
through  the  abominations  practiced 
by  the  apostate  nations  of  Christen- 
dom. Not  even  one  ray  of  light  from 
heaven  has  forced  its  passage  through 
the  dark,  gloomy,  dismal  night  with 
which  they  have  been  for  centuries 
enshrowded,  until  an  angel  penetrated 
the  depths  and  brought  to  light  that 
sacred,  heavenly,  and  most  precious 
treasure — the  Book  of  Mormon — and 
raised  up  inspired  men  by  which  light 
from  heaven  again  shines  on  our 
earth.  But  so  great  are  the  mists  of 
darkness,  that  this  generation  do  not 
perceive  the  light.  "The  light  shineth 
in  darkness  but  the  darkness  compre- 
hendeth  it  not." 

"  An  age  of  light !"  Oh  tell  it  not 
in  the  face  of  high  heaven!  Where 
are  your  holy  apostles  inspired  from 
heaven  to  speak  the  word  of  the  Lord 
in  the  ears  of  fallen  man  ?  Where 
are  your  prophets  to  lift  up  their 
voices  by  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and 
warn  the  nations  of  approaching 
danger?  Where  are  your  beers,  en- 
rapped  in  the  visions  of  the  Al- 
mighty, bringing  to  l'ght  things  both 
new  and  old,  opening  the  grand 
events  of  futurity,  and  unlocking  the 
hidden  mysteries  of  the  heavenly 
world?  Where  now  is  the  voice  of 
inspiration,  and  the  voice  of  angels, 
to  salute  the  ears  of  mortal  man  with 
glad  tidings  of  great  joy  ?  Where 
now  are  the  gifts  of  healing — the 
opening  of  the  eyes  of  the  blind — the 
unstopping  of  the  ears  of  the  deaf — 
the  speaking  with  other  tongues,  and 
all  the  miraculous  gifts  and  powers  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  ?  They  are  not  to  be 
found  in  apostate  Christendom,  oidy 
as  enjoyed  by  the  Latter-day  Saints. 
Will  Christendom  have  the  unblush- 
ing impudence  to  call  themselves  the 
people  of  God,  when  they  are  desti- 
tute of  all  those  most  precious  gifts 
promised  in  the  gospel  ?  "  An  age 
of  light  !"     Oh  shame !     Oh  impu- 


260 


NEW  RETELATION. 


dence  !  when  will  you  cease  to  call  evil 
good?  How  longwill  the  heavens  suf- 
fer such  wickedness  to  go  unpunished! 

"  An  age  of  light!'' — "a  Christian 
nation  !"  Go  to  all  your  large  cities 
throughout  the  land — find  one,  if  you 
can,  where  there  are  not  whoredoms 
and  other  abominations  enough,  com- 
mitted every  day,  to  sink  the  whole 
nation  to  the  lowest  hell.  Look  at 
the  swarms  of  public  prostitutes,  per- 
mitted to  roam  at  large  and  corrupt 
society  with  their  accursed  filthiness, 
and  then  lift  your  eyes  to  heaven  and 
hypocritically  thank  God  that  you 
live  in  such  a  christian  nation.  Oh, 
fear  and  tremble,  ye  hypocrites,  ye 
whited  sepulchres,  lest  God  shall 
smite  you,  for  thus  provokingly  tell- 
ing him  that  you  are  a  christian  na- 
tion !  But  God  suffers  you  thus  to 
corrupt  yourselves,  because  you  love 
darkness,  and  priestcrafts,  and  whore- 
doms, and  false  doctrines  and  every 
evil  work.  He  will  suffer  you  until 
your  golden  cup  is  full  and  running 
over,  that  he  may  visit  you  with  a 
more  speedy  and  awful  judgment,  and 
blot  out  your  name  from  under  heav- 
en !  Then  shall  the  holy  apostles, 
and  prophets,  and  all  the  heavens  re- 
joice over  your  downfall ;  for  you 
shall  fall  to  rise  no  more. 

At  the  present  time,  so  great  is  your 
wickedness,  that  silence  reigns  in 
heaven,  and  all  eternity  is  pained,  and 
the  angels  are  waiting  with  longino- 
anxiety  for  the  great  command  to 
reap  down  the  harvest  of  the  earth, 
and  bind  the  tares  in  bundles,  and  give 
them  to  the  burning  flame !  And  if 
you  will  not  listen  to  the  warning 
voice,  and  repent,  the  servants  of  God 
Avill  not  cease  their  cries  to  the  heav- 
ens, until  God  shall  come  out  of  his 
hiding  place,  and  make  a  full  end, 
that  the  earth  may  be  cleansed  and 
rest  for  a  season. 

How  is  it,  that  you  will  not  awake 
to  a  sense  of  the  awful  condition  that 
you  are  in  ?  How  is  it,  that  you  will 
close  your  eyes  to  the  signs  of  the 
times,  and  not  perceive  the  day  of 
your  visitation  ?  How  is  it,  that  you 
will  not  pay  any  attention  to  "that 
which  belongs  to  your  peace  ?     How 


is  it,  that  you  can  be  so  hard  in  your 
hearts  and  blind  in  your  minds  that 
you  cannot  perceive  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  in  bringing  to  light  the  sacred 
Records  of  the  ancient  Israelites  who 
dwelt  upon  this  continent  ?  Why  do 
you  condemn  that  most  excellent 
work  upon  popular  rumour,  without 
even  reading  one  page  of  its  contents? 
Why  will  you  be  proud  in  your  hearts, 
and  exalt  yourselves  above  all  other 
nations,  and  boast  in  your  own 
strength  as  a  nation,  and  imagine 
that  no  evil  will  come  upon  you, 
though  you  continue  in  your  wicked- 
ness ?  Why  not  discern  and  under- 
stand that  it  is  God  that  has  made 
you  a  strong  and  powerful  nation,  and 
not  yourselves  ?  It  is  God  that  set- 
teth  up  and  pulleth  down.  If  you 
would  repent,  as  He  requires  you  in 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  you  would 
continue  to  be  blessed  upon  the  land; 
but  if  you  obey  not,  and  reject  His 
word,  He  will  certainly  visit  you  as  it 
is  written.  Oh,  then,  why  will  you 
not  repent?  it  will  certainly  do  you 
no  harm  to  repent,  and  forsake  false 
doctrines,  and  every  species  of  wick- 
edness. If  you  repent  and  call  upon 
the  Lord  even  as  our  pilgrim  fathers 
did,  when  they  first  came  to  this  land, 
God  will  be  merciful  unto  you  and 
prolong  your  blessings  in  the  land. — 
Even  though  you,  in  your  darkness, 
may  suppose  the  Book  of  Mormon  an 
imposition,  you  certainly  will  be  on 
the  safe  side  if  you  repent  and  do  as 
that  book  requires. 

If  this  new  revelation  required  you 
to  do  something  that  was  evil,  you 
would  have  some  reason  for  distrust- 
ing it  and  paying  no  attention  to  it; 
but  when  it  requires  you  to  repent,  and 
forsake  every  evil  practice,  and  sets 
forth  your  evils  and  abominations 
plainly  before  your  eyes,  of  which 
you  yourselves  know  that  you  are 
guilty,  where  is  your  excuse  for  not 
obeying,  even  though  you  may  think 
that  it  is  the  work  of  man  ?  If  it  be 
the  work  of  man,  can  you  be  excused, 
and  will  God  overlook  all  the  sins 
which  you  know  you  are  guilty  of 
and  which  that  book  accuses  you  of, 
and  which  it  requires  you  to  repent  of? 


ZION  OF  ENOCH. 


261 


No  :  you  have  no  excuse ;  you  well 
know  that  you  ought  to  repent  of  ev- 
ery evil  of  which  that  book  accuses 
you;  and  that  God  will  in  no  wise 
acquit  the  guilty.  And  if  you  already 
know  this,  how  much  more  ought 
you  to  fear  when  a  professed  revela- 
tion makes  its  appearance  threatening 
you  with  awful  and  speedy  judgment, 
if  you  do  not  repent. 

Oh  my  nation !  the  inhabitants  of 
this  beautiful  and  lovely  country  !  open 
your  ears  to  the  voice  of  your  Re- 
deemer, whose  bowels  of  compassion 
yearn  over  you — whose  voice  is  to  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  land  calling  up- 
on them  to  repent,  and  turn  away  from 
all  their  iniquities,  and  be  baptized  in 
His  name  for  the  remission  of  their 
sins,  that  they  may  be  filled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Then  shall  ye  know 
His  voice,  and  the  voice  of  his  ser- 
vants, and  the  voice  of  his  spirit :  for 
the  spirit  is  light,  and  maketh  mani- 
fest the  truth,  and  if  it  be  in  you,  you 
shall  be  the  children  of  light  and  not 
walk  in  darkness. 

Now  what  man  is  there  in  all  this 
nation  that  will  not  acknowledge  that 
repentance  would  not  only  be  benefi- 
cial to  individuals,  but  to  the  whole 
nation?  Why  then  condemn  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  for  calling  upon 
you  to  do  that  which  you  know 
would  be  beneficial  ?  But,  you  may 
reply,  the  Book  of  Mormon  professes 
to  be  a  New  Revelation  and  to  call 
upon  us  by  authority  to  repent,  and 
we  do  not  believe  in  new  revelation, 
and  therefore  we  will  not  repent. — 
A  poor  excuse,  indeed  !  that  you  will 
not  do  that  which  you  acknowledge 


would  be  beneficial,  because  you  are 
afraid  of  giving  sanction  to  the 
Book  of  Mormon. 

Another  thing  should  cause  you  to 
fear  and  tremble  exceedingly.  You 
should  remember  that,  that  very  book 
is  substantiated  to  this  generation  with 
far  greater  evidence  than  they  have 
for  any  other  revelation.  (See  "Divine 
Authenticity  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon," by  0.  Pratt.)  To  reject  so  great 
evidence,  and  still  remain  in  your  sins 
will  be  presumptuous  on  your  part. 

Again,  every  man  in  the  nation  has 
the  privilege  on  condition  of  repent- 
ance and  obedience  of  receiving  the 
Holy  Ghost,  which  will  most  assured- 
ly guide  them  into  all  truth,  and  bear 
record  unto  them  of  the  truth  of  this 
New  Revelation,  so  that  they  may 
have  the  same  knowledge  of  the  di- 
vine Authenticity  of  the  Record  as 
they  have  of  any  other  truth.  To 
know  a  thing  to  be  true  certainly 
would  impart  more  happiness  and 
joy,  than  to  remain  in  uncertainty  and 
doubt.  A  knowledge  of  the  truth 
will  give  stability  to  the  mind,  so  that 
it  will  not  fluctuate  to  and  fro  with 
every  wind  of  doctrine,  invented  by 
the  cunning  craftiness  of  uninspired 
men.  Is  there  any  excuse  therefore, 
for  any  man  in  the  nation  ?  when  it 
is  within  the  power  of  all  to  obtain 
the  most  perfect  knowledge  that  the 
Book  of  Mormon  is  a  revelation  from 
God?  And  especially  when  this 
knowledge  is  to  be  obtained  by  doing 
that  which  every  man  will  acknowl- 
edge ought  to  be  done,  and  which  all 
see  would  be  beneficial  both  to  indi- 
viduals and  to  the  nation  to  do  ? 


ZION    OF    ENOCH 


BY    THE     EDITOR. 


What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word 
Zion?  The  Prophet  Enochans  wers 
this  question  in  the  following  lan- 
guage : — ■"  And  the  Lord  called  His 
people  Zion,  because  they  were  of 
one  heart  and  one  mind,  and  dwelt  in 


righteousness ;  and  there  was  no  poor 
among  them."  The  Lord  by  the 
mouth  of  Joseph  the  Prophet  gave 
the  following  definition  : — "  Let  Zion 
rejoice,  for  this  is  Zion — The  pure 
in  Hearth    Enoch  was  called  of  God, 


262 


ZION  OF  ENOCH. 


when  but  a  young  man,  and  was  sent 
forth  unto  the  antediluvian  nations  to 
preach  Faith,  Repentance,  and  Bap- 
tism for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  to 
Prophesy  and  warn  the  people  of  ap- 
proaching' judgment.  Many  among 
the  nations  hearkened  to  his  voice, 
and  received  the  gospel,  and  became 
the  sons  of  God  ;  for  the  Holy  Ghost 
fell  upon  them,  and  they  were  born 
of  God.  These  by  the  commandment 
of  God,  were  gathered  out  from  the 
nations  by  themselves,  and  they  were 
established  upon  the  high  places  of 
the  earth  and  upon  the  mountains;  and 
became  sanctified  before  the  Lord ; 
"and  the  Lord  came  and  dwelt  with 
His  people,  and  they  dwelt  in  right- 
eousness. The  fear  of  the  Lord  was 
upon  all  nations,  so  great  was  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  which  was  upon 
His  people." 

It  was  under  these  circumstances 
that  the  Lord  called  his  people  Zion. 
And  from  what  God  has  revealed, 
concerning  this  great  continent,  we 
have  reason  to  believe  that  this  is  the 
very  land  where  the  righteous  were 
gathered  in  the  days  of  Enoch.  And 
there  are  indications  in  the  revelations 
which  God  has  given  us  through  the 
mouth  of  Joseph  Smith,  that  this  is 
the  very  land,  where  once  flourished 
the  garden  of  Eden.  One  thing  is 
certain,  that  three  years  previous  to 
Adam's  death  "  he  called  Seth,  Enos, 
Cainan,  Mahalaleel,  Jared,  Enoch,  and 
Mathuselah,  who  were  all  high  priests, 
with  the  residue  of  his  posterity  who 
were  righteous,  into  the  valley  of  Ad- 
am— Ondi— Ahman,  and  there  bestowed 
upon  them  his  last  blessing.  And  the 
Lord  appeared  unto  them,  and  they 
rose  up  and  blessed  Adam,  and  called 
him  Michael,  the  Prince,  the  Archan- 
gel. And  the  Lord  administered  com- 
fort unto  Adam,  and  said  unto  him,  I 
have  set  thee  to  be  at  the  head — a  multi- 
tude of  nations  shall  come  of  thee,  and 
thou  art  a  prince  over  them  for  ever," 
(Doc.  and  Cov.  Sec.  2 :  28.) 

Here  then  were  eight  generations, 
including  all  the  righteous  of  Adam's 
posterity,  all  assembled  in  the  valley 
of  "Adam — Ondi — Ahman,"  Accord- 
ing  to  other  revelations  of  the  mar- 


tyred Prophet  Joseph,  this  valley  is  in 
the  state  of  Missouri,  only  about  50 
or  60  miles  north  of  Jackson  Co., 
where  the  city  of  Zion  is  to  be  built 
up  in  the  last  days.  From  the  fact 
that  Adam  "called"  his  descendants 
into  that  valley,  we  have  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  it  was  his  place  of  residence 
— his  old  homestead,  perhaps,  where 
he  may  have  dwelt  for  many  centu- 
ries. 

Enoch  built  a  city,  called  Zion,  and 
the  people  who  received  the  gospel 
through  his  ministry  dwelt  therein. — 
It  is  very  probable  that  Jared  the  fath- 
er of  Enoch  and  all  his  Ancestors,  even 
to  Adam,  were  not  located  very  far 
from  the  city  of  Enoch.  Whether 
Adam  and  all  those  of  his  descendants 
who  were  righteous  in  Enoch's  day 
still  dwelt  near  their  native  country  ; 
or  whether  they  had  emigrated  from 
some  distant  part  of  the  earth  in  order 
to  detach  themselves  from  the  wicked- 
ness of  surrounding  nations,  we  can- 
not positively  determine  without  fur- 
ther revelation.  As  the  earth  was  not 
divided  into  continents  and  islands  be- 
fore Enoch's  day,  it  would  not  have 
been  difficult  for  Adam,  and  the  right- 
eous of  those  days,  to  have  emigrated 
by  land  from  the  opposite  side  of  the 
globe  to  this  country.  But  if  the 
Ancestors  of  Enoch  came  with  him 
from  some  distant  part  of  the  globe, 
it  would  be  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  they  would  have  located  them- 
selves in  the  same  city  with  him,  and 
have  been  translated  and  caught  up 
into  heaven  with  him  and  his  people. 
But  from  the  fact  that  all  his  Ances- 
tors, except  Adam,  were  alive  at 
the  time  that  Zion  was  caught  up,  and 
that  they  were  all  left  behind  and 
lived  on  the  earth  many  years  after 
that  event,  it  seems  almost  certain  that 
they  did  not  live  in  Zion ;  but  proba- 
bly were  located  on  their  old  inher- 
itances where  they  lived  when  the 
foundations  of  Zion  were  laid. 

Mathuselah,  the  son  of  Enoch,  was 
also  left  behind,  and  lived  for  some 
six  centuries  until  the  flood.  His 
grand-son,  Noah,  most  probably  built 
the  Ark  in  this  land  :  if  so,  he  must 
have  been  wafied  by  winds  and  cur- 


ZION  OF  ENOCH. 


263 


rents  for  many  months  until  he  landed 
upon  the  mountains  of  Ararat. — 
Without  direct  revelation  it  would 
have  been  difficult  for  Noah  to  have 
determined  the  geographical  position 
of  his  landing  place;  he  and  his  sons 
located  themselves  in  Asia,  and  it  is 
very  doubtful  whether  they  had  any 
idea  of  the  great  distance  that  inter- 
vened between  them  and  their  native 
country. 

America,  then,  may  be  considered 
the  Old  world — the  cradle  of  the  hu- 
man race — the  theatre  of  events  per- 
taining to  the  antediluvian  age.  From 
American  soil  was  formed  the  first 
tabernacles  of  man  and  beast,  fowl  and 
creeping  things.  Here  was  the  gar- 
den of  the  Lord,  where  flourished  the 
tree  of  life  whose  fruit  was  calculated 
to  impart  immortality  and  eternal  life 
to  those  who  should  partake  thereof. 
Here  God  conversed  freely  with  man 
and  gave  him  dominion  over  the 
earth.  Here  Satan  introduced  sin,  and 
misery,  and  death.  Here  holy  mes- 
sengers guarded  with  a  flaming  sword 
the  tree  of  life  from  the  hands  of  fallen 
man.  Here  Cain  imbrued  his  hands 
in  the  blood  of  righteous  Abel.  Here 
nations  multiplied  on  nations  and 
waxed  strong  in  wickedness  before 
God.  Here  Enoch  preached  repent- 
ance and  baptism  for  the  remission  of 
sins,  and  led  the  people  of  God,  who 
overcame  their  enemies  that  came  to 
battle  against  them.  Here  Enoch 
"spake  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  the 
earth  trembled,  and  the  mountains 
fled,  even  according  to  his  command; 
and  the  rivers  of  water  were  turned 
out  of  their  course  ;  and  the  roar  of  the 
lions  was  heard  out  of  the  wilderness  ; 
and  all  nations  feared  greatly,  so  pow- 
erful was  the  word  of  Enoch,  and  so 
great  was  the  power  of  language 
which  God  had  given  him.  There 
also  came  up  a  land  out  of  the  depth 
of  the  sea;  and  so  great  was  the  fear 
of  the  enemies  of  the  people  of  God 
that  they  fled  and  stood  afar  off,  and 
went  upon  the  land  which  came  up 
out  of  the  depths  of  the  sea.  And  the 
giants  of  the  land,  also,  stood  afar  off; 
and  there  went  forth  a  curse  upon  all 
the  people  which  fought  against  God  : 


and  from  that  time  forth  there  were 
wars  and  bloodsheds  among  them." 
Here  flourished  the  city  of  Zion, 
built  by  Enoch  and  his  people,  and 
God  chose  it  for  his  dwi  lling  place 
for  ever,  and  He  came  and  dwelt  in 
the  midst  of  it;  and  His  glory  over- 
shadowed it  for  upwards  of  three  cen- 
turies, when  it  was  taken  up  with  all 
the  inhabitants  thereof  into  heaven. — 
Here  was  built  an  ark  of  safety,  where- 
in seed  of  all  flesh  was  preserved  to 
repeople  a  world  cleansed  from  wick- 
edness by  baptism  in  the  mighty 
flood. 

What  portion  of  the  land  was  taken 
up  with  the  Zion  of  Enoch  is  not  re- 
vealed. It  seems  very  probable  that 
a  sufficient  quantity  of  the  earth  would 
be  translated  with  the  city  to  form  in- 
heritances for  the  people.  In  what 
part  of  space  this  city  is  located  is  un- 
known. During  the  interval  between 
the  translation  of  Zion  and  the  flood, 
angels  came  down  out  of  heaven  and 
appeared  unto  many,  "and  the  Holy 
Spirit  fell  on  many  and  they  were 
caught  up  by  the  powers  of  heaven 
into  Zion."  The  descendants  of  Noah 
not  having  faith  sufficient  to  be  caught 
up  into  Zion,  concluded  to  build  a 
tower  sufficiently  high  to  get  there 
without  being  under  the  necessity  of 
receiving  a  translation.  From  this  it 
appears  that  the  early  descendants  of 
Noah  had  an  idea  that  Zion  was  loca- 
ted somewhere  near  the  earth.  Abra- 
ham sought  to  become  an  inhabitant 
of  the  same  city  ;  for,  as  Paul  declares, 
"  he  looked  for  a  city  which  hath 
foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker 
is  God."  Abraham  understood  that 
in  the  translation  of  the  city  theie  was 
something  more  than  the  houses 
caught  up :  he  was  aware  that  the 
city  had  "found 'at ions'''  as  well  as 
buildings;  and  he  knew  that  God 
was  the  "  builder  and  maker''''  of  it ; 
or,  in  other  words,  that  God  gave 
Enoch  the  pattern  and  instructed  him 
how  to  build  it. 

There  have  been  many  conjectures 
among;  the  saints  in  regard  to  the  con- 
dition  of  the  inhabitants  of  Enoch's 
city  :  some  have  supposed  them  still 
to  be  mortal — that  they  die — aid  that 


264 


ZION  OF  ENOCH. 


successive  generations  come  and  go  as 
here  :  others  have  supposed  that  they 
were  only  partially   changed  so  that 
death  could  have  no  power  over  them  ; 
conjecturing  that  the  change  was  sim- 
ilar  to    that   received    by    the    three 
Nephites,  mentioned  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  and  that  they  will  not  re- 
ceive a  full  change  until  the  coming 
of  Christ,  or  the  last  day :     Others 
suppose  them  to  have  been  changed 
from  mortality   to  immortality.     We 
have  no  revelation  to  decide  directly 
which  of  these  suppositions  is  correct ; 
although   we  are  inclined  to  believe 
that  the  latter  supposition  is  the  most 
probable.     But  this  is  a  subject  which 
does  not  immediately  concern  us,  as 
a  matter  of  importance ;  God  is  wil- 
ling for  us  to  know  all  about  the  Zion 
of  Enoch,   and   about    many    other 
things  that  are  good,  and  great,  and 
glorious,  just  as  fast  as  we  will  pre- 
pare our  hearts  to  receive  knowledge: 
and  it  is  only  on  account  of  our  dark- 
ness, unbelief,  and  disobedience  that 
many  mysteries  are  withheld  from  us. 
To  suppose  that  the  inhabitants  of 
the  city  of  Enoch  have  been  caught 
away  to  some  other  planetary  body, 
and  that  they  have  there  continued  to 
multiply    a   fleshly  offspring,    would 
necessarily  involve  the  idea  of   mor- 
tality and  death;  for  we  know  of   no 
revelation  that  indicates  that  a  fleshly 
offspring  could  be  derived  from  im- 
mortal parents.     If  therefore,  a  fleshly 
offspring  are  begotten  in  the  Zion  of 
Enoch,  then  mortality  and  death  reign 
among  them  ;  and   generation    must 
have  succeeded  generation  ;  and  there 
has  been  time  enough  for  them  to  have 
peopled    several  worlds    as  large    as 
this.     On   the    other    hand,    if  they 
were  immortal,   their  offspring  must 
have  been  spirits  ;  and  as  in  this  con- 
dition  none   of  their  children    could 
multiply,  the  increase  would  be    far 
less.     Indeed,  a  city  containing  four 
hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  consist 
ing  of  an  equal   number  of  immortal 
males    aud    females,    would   require 
about  three  hundred  thousand  years 
to  people  one  world   with  the  same 
number  of  inhabitants  as  have  already 
come  upon  our  globe  ;  that  is,  suppo- 


sing the  rate  of  increase  to  be  two 
hundred  thousand  per  year. 

However  far  the  Zion  of  Enoch  may 
be  from  the  earth's  appointed  orbit,  it  i's 
certain,  according  to  the  promise  of 
God,  that  it  will  return  again  to  the 
earth  at  the  second  coming  of  Christ. 
We  can  hardly  believe  that  this  city 
was  taken  away  beyond  the  limits  of 
the  Solar  system  ;  for  if  it  had  been 
carried  with  a  velocity  of  one  mile 
per  minute,  it  would  have  required  up- 
wards of  Ave  thousand  years  to  have 
gone  as  far  as  the  planet  Neptune  : 
and  with  that  velocity  it  would  have 
required  over  ten  thousand  years  to 
go  there  and  return.  As  an  immortal 
body  has  the  power  of  rendering  it- 
self invisible,  it  is  reasonable  to  infer 
that  a  city  wrought  upon  by  the  pow 
er  of  God,  and  changed  in  its  nature, 
could  be  rendered  invisible,  and  still 
be  within  our  immediate  vicinity. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  charac- 
teristics of  the  antediluvian  Zion,  was 
that  "  they  were  of  one  heart  and  one 
mind,  and  there  were  no  poor  among 
them,"  a  perfect  union  of  sentiment 
and  feeling' :  no  bitterness — no  hatred 
— no  slandering  or  reviling — no  de- 
frauding or  taking  the  advantage  one 
of  another — no  person  seeking  to  ag- 
grandize himself  by  heaping  up  riches 
while  others  were  poor — no  selfish- 
ness or  pride — no  hypocrisy  or  af- 
fectation :  but  every  one  loved  his 
neighbor  as  himself — every  one  stu- 
died the  welfare  of  the  whole — every 
one  considered  himself  as  only  a  stew- 
ard over  the  things  committed  to  his 
charge :  it  was  all  considered  the 
Lord's,  and  ready  to  be  appropriated 
for  any  purpose  which  the  Lord 
should  direct.  They  were  equal  in 
earthly  things,  therefore  the  Lord 
made  them  equal  in  heavenly  things. 
Nothing  short  of  continued  revelation 
could  ever  have  brought  aboutan  or- 
der of  things  so  perfect.  Such  union 
was  strength  and  power;  such  one- 
ness was  after  the  order  of  heaven  : 
the  powers  of  the  earth  could  not  hold 
them — the  laws  of  nature  could  not 
retain  them:  their  faith  laid  hold  on 
immortality — on  eternal  life — on  the 
powers  of  heaven — on  heavenly  things; 


LATTER-DAY  ZION. 


265 


the  veil  was  parted  and  could  no  more 
be  closed — the  city  of  Zion  fled  from 
earth  to  heaven  there  to  be  reserved 
until  a  day  of  righteousness  should 
come,  when  the  earth  should  rest ; 
then  shall  they  return  to  their  native 
land  and  their  city  with  them  ;  then 
shall  be  fulfilled  the  words  of  Isaiah  : 
"  Thy  watchmen  shall  lift  up  then- 
voice,  and  with  the  voice  together 
shall  they  sing  ;  for  they  shall  see  eye 


to  eye  when  the  Lord  shall  bring 
again  Zion."  Yes:  when  the  Lord 
brings  again  the  Zion  of  Enoch  from 
heaven  to  earth  the  watchman  of  the 
Latter  day  Zion  shall  see  eye  to  eye 
with  the  watchman  of  the  Zion  from 
heaven  :  then  shall  ancient  and  mod- 
ern saints  embrace  each  other,  and 
their  hearts  shall  be  full  of  joy ;  for 
the  Lord  himself  will  be  there,  and  He 
will  comfort  his  people  for  evermore. 


LATTER-DAY    ZION. 


BY  THE  EDITOR. 


The  Latter-Day  Zion  will  resem- 
ble, in  most  particulars,  the  Zion  of 
Enoch  :  it  will  be  established  upon 
the  same  celestial  laws — be  built  up- 
on the  same  gospel,  and  be  guided  by 
continued  revelation.  Its  inhabitants, 
like  those  of  the  antediluvian  Zion, 
will  be  the  righteous  gathered  out 
from  all  nations  :  the  glory  of  God 
will  be  seen  upon  it;  and  His  power 
will  be  manifested  there,  even  as  in 
the  Zion  of  old.  All  the  blessings 
and  grand  characteristics  which  were 
exhibited  in  ancient  Zion  will  be 
shown  forth  in  the  Latter-Day  Zion. 
As  the  Zion  of  Enoch  was  caught  up 
by  the  powers  of  heaven,  so  will  the 
Latter-Day  Zion  be  taken  up  into  the 
cloud  when  the  heavens  are  opened 
and  the  face  of  the  Lord  is  unveiled 
at  His  second  coming. 

As  the  building  up  of  Zion  in  the 
last  days  is  to  be  a  work  of  so  great 
a  magnitude,  it  will  not,  we  trust,  be 
uninteresting  to  our  readers  if  we  re- 
fer to  some  of  the  ancient  prophecies 
relative  to  it ;  especially  as  the  day  is 
at  hand  when  the  Lord  has  laid  the 
foundation  and  commenced  the  ful- 
filment of  the  great  work. 

The  Psalmist,  speaking  propheti- 
cally, exclaims,  "Thou  shalt  arise, 
and  have  mercy  upon  Zion  :  for  the 
time  to  favour  her,  yea,  the  set  time,  is 
come.  For  thy  servants  take  pleas- 
ure in  her  stones,  and  favour  the  dust 
thereof.  So  the  heathen  shall  fear 
the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  all  the 


I  kings  of  the  earth  thy  glory.     When 
the  Lord  shall  build  up  Zion,  he  shall 
!  appear  in  His  glory.     He  will  regard 
I  the  prayer  of  the  destitute,  and  not 
|  despise  their  prayer.     This  shall  be 
I  written  for  the  generation  to  come  : 
'  and  the  people  which  shall  be  created 
shall  praise  the  Lord.     For  He  hath 
looked  down  from  the  height  of  His 
sanctuary ;  from  heaven  did  the  Lord 
behold   the  earth  ;  to  hear  the  groan- 
ing of  the  prisoner ;  to  loose  those 
that  are  appointed  to  death  ;  to  declare 
the  name  of  the  Lord  in  Zion,  and  His 
praise  in  Jerusalem  when  the  people 
are   gathered  together,    and  the  king- 
doms   to   serve   the  Lord."     (Psalm 
102:13-22.) 

From  this  we  learn  that  the  build- 
ing up  and  the  favouring  of  Zion  was 
not  to  take  place  in  that  age,  for  it  is 
expressly  declared,  that  what  was 
then  written  was  for  the  benefit  of 
"a  generation  to  come."  That  it 
had  no  reference  to  the  Christian 
Church  built  up  in  the  days  of  the 
apostles,  is  certain  from  the  declara- 
tion that,  "  When  the  Lord  shall 
build  up  Zion,  he  shall  appear  in  His 
glory."  It  was  to  be  a  work,  there- 
fore, immediately  preceding  the  glori- 
ous appearing  of  our  Lord.  It  will 
be  a  work  in  which  the  power  of  God 
will  be  so  marvelously  displayed,  that 
it  will  excite  the  attention  of  whole 
nations  and  kingdoms  to  that  degree, 
that  they  will  actually  gather  together 
among   the  people  of  Zion  to  serve 


266 


LATTER-DAY  ZION. 


the  Lord.  One  object  they  will  have 
in  view  in  gathering,  will  be  to 
worship  the  Lord  in  His  house,  and 
to  receive  ordinances  therein.  Or  as 
the  Prophet  Isaiah,  when  speaking  of 
this  subject,  says,  "  And  it  shall 
come  to  pass  in  the  last  days,  that 
the  mountain  of  the  Lord's  house 
shall  be  established  in  the  top  of  the 
mountains,  and  shall  be  exalted  above 
the  hills  ;  and  all  nations  shall  flow 
unto  it.  And  many  people  shall  go 
and  say,  Come  ye,  and  let  us  go  up 
to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  to  the 
house  of  the  God  of  Jacob  ;  and  He 
will  teach  us  of  His  ways,  and  we 
will  walk  in  His  paths  :  for  out  of 
Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law,  and  the 
word  of  the  Lord  from  Jerusalem. 
And  He  shall  judge  among  the  na- 
tions, and  shall  rebuke  many  people  : 
and  they  shall  beat  their  swords  into 
ploughshares,  and  their  spears  into 
pruning  hooks  :  nation  shall  not  lift 
up  sword  against  nation,  neither  shall 
they  learn  war  any  more."  (Isaiah 
2  : 2-4.) 

It  is  very  evident  from  this  that 
there  will  be  a  glory  and  power  con- 
nected with  the  establishment  of  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  that  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  cause  whole  nations  and  king- 
doms to  flow  unto  it.  They  flow  to 
the  mountains  where  the  house  of  the 
God  of  Jacob  is  erected,  because  they 
can  there  be  taught  in  the  ways  of  the 
Lord,  and  receive  information  that  is 
impossible  for  them  to  receive  in  their 
own  lands.  In  Zion  a  law  will  be 
given  by  the  Great  Law  Giver,  which 
will  be  for  the  government  of  all  na- 
tions ;  and  all  nations  will  have  to 
submit  to  that  law,  or  be  destroyed 
from  the  earth  :  for  the  "  Lord  will 
rebuke  strong  nations  afar  off."  The 
law  for  the  government  of  all  nations 
will  go  forth  from  Zion  the  same  as  the 
laws  for  the  government  of  the  United 
States  now  go  forth  from  Washing- 
ton. Zion  will  be  the  seat  of  gov- 
ernment, and  her  officers  will  be  far 
more  respected,  and  have  far  more  in- 
fluence, than  those  of  any  government 
upon  the  earth  ;  all  nations  will  yield 
the  most  perfect  obedience  to  their 
commands  and  counsels.     There  will 


be  no  party  politicians,  and  party 
newspapers  to  speak  evil  of  them,  as 
they  now  do  of  the  President  and 
highest  authorities  of  this  nation  :  a 
word  from  them  will  control  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth  as  one  man. 
This  great  influence  and  high  respect 
will  not  be  obtained  by  swaying  the 
sceptre  of  tyrants — by  binding  the 
people  down  with  the  strong  arm  of 
oppression  ;  but  it  will  be  because  of 
their  righteousness,  and  their  faith  in 
God,  and  because  their  power  is  given 
to  them  from  God  ;  and  they  act,  and 
speak,  and  counsel,  and  command  in 
His  name  and  by  His  authority ;  and, 
therefore,  the  nations  must  obey  or 
incur  the  displeasure  of  Him  vvho 
governs  all  things,  according  to  His 
own  will  and  pleasure. 

The  Lord  says,  concerning  Zion, 
''And  I  will  restore  thy  judges  as  at 
the  first,  and  thy  counsellors  as  at  the 
beginning :  afterward  thou  shall  be 
called  The  city  of  righteousness — 
the  faithful  city."  (Isaiah  1  :  26.) 
"  I  will  also  make  thy  officers  peace, 
and  thine  exactors  reighteousness." 
(Isaiah  60  :  17.)  When  the  Lord  re- 
stores the  judges,  counsellors  and  offi- 
cers of  Zion,  after  the  same  order  as 
in  the  ancient  Zion,  or  among  Israel, 
He  will  choose  good  and  righteous 
men  who  can  be  entrusted  to  direct 
the  governmental  affairs  of  every  na- 
tion under  heaven,  who  will  see  that 
the  laws  issued  from  Zion  are  proper- 
ly respected  and  obeyed. 

Ambitious  politicians  are  now  striv- 
ing, contending,  and  exerting  all  their 
power  in  order  to  obtain  the  presi- 
dential chair  or  a  seat  in  Congress. 
If  they  can  only  arise  high  enough  to 
preside  over  this  nation  for  four  years, 
they  think  it  wonderful  honor.  O 
fools  !  how  little  do  they  know  what 
true  honor  is  !  We  would  rather  be 
honored  with  the  office  of  deacon, 
among  the  high  and  honorable  people 
of  Zion,  than  to  be  elected  President 
of  the  United  States;  for  the  latter  is 
but  a  momentary  office,  expiring  at 
the  close  of  four  short  years ;  while 
the  former  will  endure  for  ever;  or 
rather,  he  who  honors  the  office  of 
deacon,  and  faithfully  discharges  the 


LATTER-DAY  ZTON 


267 


duties  of  the  same,  will  receive  a 
crown,  and  kingdom,  and  power,  and 
authority,  and  greatness,  and  honor, 
and  glory,  that  will  never  have  an 
end  :  and  even  in  this  life  the  days 
will  come  that  deacons  in  Zion  will 
be  more  honored  and  more  respected, 
than  any  emperor,  king  or  president, 
now  ruling  among  the  nations. 

Before  Zion  can  partake  of  the 
glory  and  honor  promised  to  her,  she 
will  be  hated,  afflicted,  and  despised 
by  the  wicked  :  and  because  she  does 
not,  at  first,  give  heed  in  all  things  to 
the  word  of  the  Lord,  He  will  chas- 
ten her,  and  for  a  moment  hide  His 
face  from  her,  and  forsake  her;  and 
she  will  be  as  a  wife  of  youth,  for- 
saken and  grieved  in  spirit.  And  in 
the  midst  of  her  affliction  she  will  ex- 
claim, "  The  Lord  hath  forsaken  me, 
and  my  Lord  hath  forgotten  me." 
But  the  Lord  saith,  "  Can  a  woman 
forget  her  sucking  child,  that  she 
should  not  have  compassion  on  the 
son  of  her  womb  ?  yea,  they  may  for- 
get, yet  will  I  not  forget  thee.  Be- 
hold I  have  graven  thee  upon  the 
palms  of  my  hands  ;  thy  walls  are 
continually  before  me."  (Isaiah  49  : 
14,  15.)  All  the  shame  and  reproach 
which  she  has  suffered  from  her  ene- 
mies will  be  wiped  away :  hence, 
Isaiah  says,  "  Fear  not ;  for  thou  shalt 
not  be  ashamed  ;  neither  be  thou  con- 
founded ;  for  thou  shalt  not  be  put  to 
shame  :  for  thou  shalt  forget  the  shame 
of  thy  youth,  and  shalt  not  remember 
the  reproach  of  thy  widowhood  any 
more.  For  thy  Maker  is  thine  hus- 
band ;  the  Lord  of  Hosts  is  His  name  ; 
and  thy  Redeemer,  the  Holy  One  of 
Israel  ;  the  God  of  the  whole  earth 
shall  He  be  called.  For  the  Lord 
hath  called  thee  as  a  woman  forsaken 
and  grieved  in  spirit,  and  a  wife  of 
youth,  when  thou  wast  refused,  saith 
thy  God.  For  a  small  moment  have 
I  forsaken  thee  ;  but  with  great  mer- 
cies will  I  gather  thee.  In  a  little 
wrath  I  hid  my  face  from  thee  for  a 
moment ;  but  with  everlasting  kind- 
ness will  I  have  mercy  on  thee,  saiih 
the  Lord  thy  redeemer."  (Isaiah  54  : 
4-8.) 

Though  Zion  has  been  driven  by 


these  United  States,  and  been  perse- 
cuted, hated,  and  despised,  let  her 
not  be  discouraged,  nor  faint-hearted, 
nor  afraid ;  for  God  will  surely  re- 
member His  kindness  towards  her,  to 
bring  to  pass  all  that  is  written.  As 
the  Lord  has  "sworn  that  the  waters 
of  Noah  should  no  more  go  over  the 
earth ;  so  hath  He  sworn  that  he 
would  not  be  wroth  with  thee,  nor 
rebuke  thee."  And  again  for  the  en- 
couragement of  Zion  in  her  pffliction, 
the  Lord  says,  "for  the  mountains 
shall  depart,  and  the  hills  be  removed  : 
but  my  kindness  shall  not  depart  from 
thee,  neither  shall  the  covenant  of  my 
people  be  removed,  saith  the  Lord 
that  hath  mercy  on  thee.  O  thou 
afflicted,  tossed  with  tempest,  and  not 
comforted,  behold,  I  will  lay  thy 
stones  with  fair  colours,  and  lay  thy 
foundations  with  sapphires.  And  I  will 
make  thy  windows  of  agates,  and  thy 
gates  of  carbuncles,  and  all  thy  bor- 
ders of  pleasant  stones.  And  all  thy 
children  shall  be  taught  of  the  Lord; 
and  great  shall  be  the  peace  of  thy 
children."  (Isaiah  54  :  9-13.) 

When  the  city  of  Zion  is  built  up 
in  Jackson  county,  in  the  state  of 
Missouri,  with  all  the  precious  stones 
spoken  of  in  the  above  quotation,  it 
seems  that  they  will  be  no  more 
"afflicted  and  tossed  to  and  fro  and 
not  comforted."  Mob  violence  will 
no  more  prevail  against  them,  provi- 
ding that  they  continue  in  righteous- 
ness. For  the  Lord  says,  "In  right- 
eousness shalt  thou  be  established  ; 
thou  shalt  be  far  from  oppression  ;  for 
thou  shalt  not  fear  :  and  from  terror  : 
for  it  shall  not  come  near  thee ."  (verse 
14.)  |Their  enemies  no  doubt  will 
even  then  seek  their  overthrow,  but 
they  will  be  completely  disappointed. 
"•Behold  they  shall  surely  gather  to- 
gether, but  not  by  me,  whosoever 
shall  gather  together  against  thee  shall 
fall  for  thy  sake."   (Verse  15.) 

Should  the  enemies  of  Zion  even 
invent  new  weapons  of  warfare,  and 
think  to  prevail  against  her  by  that 
means,  it  will  be  useless  for  them  to 
try  it;  for  the  Lord  says.  "No  weap- 
on that  is  formed  apainst  thee  shall 
prosper;  and  every  tongue  that  shall 


268 


LATTER-DAY  ZION. 


rise  against  thee  in  judgment  thou 
shalt  condemn.  This  is  the  heritage 
of  the  servants  of  the  Lord  and  their 
righteousness  is  of  me,  saith  the 
Lord."  (Verse  17.) 

The  Lord  will  not  only  deliver 
Zion  from  all  her  enemies,  but  He 
will  actually  make  all  nations  serve 
her,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  following 
quotation  : — "And  the  sons  of  stran- 
gers shall  build  up  thy  walls,  and 
their  kings  shall  minister  unto  thee : 
for  in  my  wrath  I  smote  thee,  but  in 
my  favour  have  I  had  mercy  on  thee. 
Therefore  thy  gates  shall  be  open  con- 
tinually ;  they  shall  not  be  shut  day 
nor  night ;  that  men  may  bring  unto 
thee  the  forces  of  the  Gentiles,  and 
that  their  kings  may  be  brought. — 
For  the  nation  and  kingdom  that  will 
not  serve  thee  shall  perish ;  yea,  those 
nations  shall  be  utterly  wasted." — 
"The  sons  also  of  them  that  afflicted 
thee  shall  come  bending  unto  thee ; 
and  all  they  that  despised  thee  shall 
bow  themselves  down  at  the  soles  of 
thy  feet;  and  they  shall  call  thee,  The 
city  of  the  Lord,  The  Zion  of  the 
Holy  One  of  Israel."  (Isaiah  60  :  10, 
11,  12,  14.) 

O  how  great  must  be  the  glory  and 
power  of  the  Lord  to  cause  kings  to 
rise  up  and  leave  their  native  country 
to  visit  Zion !  The  forces  of  the  Gen- 
tiles will  come  to  her  as  a  flowing 
stream  whose  waters  cease  not,  day 
nor  night :  they  will  come  like  clouds 
flying,  and  like  doves  seeking  refuge 
in  their  windows  from  storms  and 
tempests.  What  a  change  of  senti- 
ments and  feelings  there  must  be,  to 
cause  those  who  have  despised  the 
saints  to  bow  themselves  down  at  the 
soles  of  their  feet !  if  any  nations  are 
too  stubborn  or  too  proud  to  show 
this  respect,  and  to  serve  Zion,  they 
will  have  the  alternative  of  being  de- 
stroyed and  utterly  wasted. 

But  why  does  the  Holy  One  of 
Zion  confer  this  honor  upon  his  peo- 
ple ?  Because  they  have  patiently 
submitted  to. every  kind  of  insult  and 
abuse  that  the  Gentiles  could  heap 
upon  them  for  the  truth's  sake :  be- 
cause they  have  been  "  afflicted  and 
tossed  to  and  fro"  by  their  enemies ; 


and  because  in  all  their  tribulation  , 
they  have  held  fast  the  truth.  And 
therefore,  will  the  Lord  place  them,  as 
the  head  of  the  nations  ;  and  instead 
of  being  compelled  to  labor  and  toil  to 
build  the  walls  of  Zion,  and  to  take 
care  of  their  flocks  and  cultivate  the 
earth,  the  Lord  will  cause  this  to  be 
done  by  strangers.  "And  strangers 
shall  stand  and  feed  your  flocks,  and 
the  sons  of  the  alien  shall  be  your 
plowmen  and  your  vinedressers.  But 
ye  shall  be  named,  The  Priests  of  the 
Lord:  men  shall  call  you,  The  Min- 
isters of  our  God."    (Isaiah  61 :  5,  6.) 

The  children  of  Zion  having  been 
robbed  and  driven  from  county  to 
county  and  from  state  to  state,  and 
even  from  the  United  States,  and  hav- 
ing suffered  the  loss,  time  after  time, 
of  their  houses,  and  lands,  and  of  their 
hard  earned  labors,  the  Lord  will 
compensate  them  by  giving  them  the 
riches  of  the  Gentiles ;  hence,  He 
says  "ye  shall  eat  the  riches  of  the 
Gentiles,  and  in  their  glory  shall  ye 
boast  yourselves.  For  your  shame  ye 
shall  have  double ;  and  for  confusion 
they  shall  rejoice  in  their  portion  : 
therefore  in  their  land  they  shall  pos- 
sess the  double;  everlasting  joy  shall 
be  unto  them."  (Isaiah  61:  6,  7.) 
"  Whereas  thou  hast  been  forsaken 
and  hated,  so  that  no  man  went 
through  thee,  I  will  make  thee  an 
eternal  excellency,  a  joy  of  many 
generations.  Thou  shalt  also  suck 
the  milk  of  the  Gentiles,  and  shalt 
suck  the  breasts  of  kings  :  and  thou 
shalt  know  that  I  the  Lord  am 
thy  Saviour  and  thy  Redeemer,  the 
mighty  One  of  Jacob.  For  brass  I 
will  bring  gold,  and  for  iron  I  will 
bring  silver,  and  for  wood  brass,  and 
for  stones  iron."  "Surely  the  isles 
shall  wait  for  me,  and  the  ships  of 
Tarshish  first  to  bring  thy  sons  from 
far,  their  silver  and  their  gold  with 
them,  unto  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy 
God,  and  to  the  Holy  One  of  Israel, 
because  he  hath  glorified  thee."  (Isa- 
iah 60:  9,  15,  16.; 

Contrast  this  glory,  and  honor,  and 
majesty,  and  greatness,  and  riches 
with  the  past  and  present  condition 
of  Zion;  and  then  let  her  sons  shout 


LATTER-DAY  ZION. 


269 


aloud  for  joy,  and  sing  with  gladness 
of  heart:  though  Zion  is  now  small 
and   little,   remember  what  the  Lord 
hath  said  concerning  her  :     "  A  little 
one  shall  become  a  thousand,  and  a 
small  one  a  strong  nation  :  I  the  Lord 
will  hasten  it  in  its  time."     (Isaiah 
60  :  22J     "  Who  hath  heard  such  a 
thing  ?  who  hath  seen  such  things  ? 
shall  the  earth  be  made  to  bring  forth 
in  one  day  ?  or  shall  a  nation  be  born 
at  once  ?  for  as  soon  as  Zion  travailed, 
she     brought    forth     her    children." 
(Isaiah  66:  8.)     Zion  will  become  a 
strong  nation  suddenly  ;  her  increase 
will  be  at  once ;  and  they  will  return 
to    their    waste    and    desolate    cities 
which  the  Gentiles  have  robbed  them 
of;  and  their  former  possessions  will 
be  too"  small  for  them.     Then  shall 
the  following  words  of  Isaiah  be  ful- 
filled    "Thy  waste,  and  thy  desolate 
places,  and  the  land  of  thy  destruc- 
tion, shall  even  now  be  too  narrow  by 
reason  of  the   inhabitants,   and  they 
that  swallowed  thee  up  shall  be  far 
away.     The     children    which    thou 
shalt  have,  after  thou  hast  lost   the 
other,"  (that  is  after  the  other  has  been 
driven  out  and  forced  to  seek  refuge 
in  the  Rocky  mountains,)  "shall  say 
again  in  thine  ears,  the  place  is  too 
straight  for  me  :  give  place  to  me  that 
I  may  dwell.     Then  shalt  thou  say 
in  thine  heart :     Who  hath  begotten 
me  these,  seeing  I  have  lost  my  child- 
ren, and  am  desolate,  a  captive,  and 
removing  to  and  fro  ?  and  who  hath 
brought    up  these  ?      Behold,    I    was 
left   alone ;   these,  where    had   they 
been?"    (Isaiah  49  :  19— 21.;    Their 
waste  and  desolate  places  which  were, 
by    mob    violence,    forcibly   wrested 
from   them,   not   being  sufficient  to 
contain  the  vast  number  of  the  saints, 
they  will  spread  forth   into  all  quar- 
ters' of  the  land.     Then  shall  another 
prophecy  of  Isaiah  be  fulfilled  :    "  En- 
large the  place    of  thy  tent,  and  let 
them    stretch   forth    the     curtains    of 
thine  habitations ;  spare  not,  lengthen 
thy  cords  and  strengthen  thy  stakes ; 
for   thou    shalt   break   forth  on   the 


The  desolate  cities  of  the  Gentiles, 
which  have  been  left  desolate  by  the 
great  and  terrible   wars  among  them- 
selves will  in  that  day  be  inhabited  by 
the  children  of  Zion  ;  for  the  children 
of  the  "  married  wife  "  or  of  the  Gen- 
tiles who  in  ancient  times  became  the 
married  wife,  instead  of  Israel,  will  be, 
because  of  wickedness,  greatly  dimin- 
ished, while  the  children  of  the  deso- 
late, whom  the  Lord  has  for  a  small 
moment    apparently    forsaken,    will 
speedily     become    a   strong    nation : 
though  barren,  and  a  captive,  wander- 
ing to  and  fro,  despised,  and  afflicted, 
and  tormented,  and   cast  out  into  the 
mountains  and  deserts,  and  hated  by 
the    whole    United    States,    yet   the 
words  of  Isaiah  shall  be  fulfilled,  and 
Zion    shall   sing  and  forget   the    re- 
proach of  her  youth.     "  Sing,  O  bar- 
ren, thou  that  didst  not  bear,  break 
forth  into  singing  and  cry  aloud,  thou 
that  didst  not  travail  with  child  :  for 
more  are  the  children  of  the  desolate, 
than  the  children  of  the  married  wife, 
saith  the  Lord."  (54:1.)    The  child- 
ren  of  Zion,  therefore,  will,  in  that 
day,  be  more  numerous  than  the  na- 
tion  who  has  oppressed  them,  and 
trodden  them  under  their  feet. 

Hear  another  prophecy,  "Thus 
saith  the  Lord  God,  behold,  I  will 
lift  up  mine  hand  to  the  Gentiles, 
and  set  up  my  standard  to  the  people  : 
and  they  shall  bring  thy  sons  in  their 
arms,  and  thy  daughters  shall  be  car- 
ried upon  their  shoulders.  And 
kings  shall  be  thy  nursing  fathers,  and 
their  queens  thy  nursing  mothers : 
they  shall  bow  down  to  thee  with 
their  face  towards  the  earth,  and  lick, 
up  the  dust  of  thy  feet;  and  thou 
shalt  know  that  I  am  the  Lord :  for 
they  shall  not  be  ashamed  that  wait 
for  me.  Shall  the  prey  be  taken  from 
the  mighty,  or  the  lawful  captive  de- 
livered ?  But  thus  saith  the  Lord, 
even  the  captives  of  the  mighty  shall 
be  taken  away,  and  the  prey  of  the 
terrible  shall  be  delivered  :  for  I  will 
contend  with  him  that  contendeth 
with  thee,  and  I  will  save  thy  child- 


right  hand  and  on  the  left :  and  thy  i  ren.  And  I  will  feed  them  that  op- 
seed  shall  inherit  the  Gentiles,  and  J  press  thee  with  their  own  flesh  :  and 
make  the  desolate  cities  to  be  inhab-  j  they  shall  be  drunken  with  their  own 
ited."  (Isaiah  54:  2,  3.) 


270 


LATTER-DAY  ZION. 


blood,  as  with  sweet  wine  :  and  all 
flesh  shall  know  that  I  the  Lord  am 
thy  Saviour  and  thy  Redeemer,  the 
mighty  One  of  Jacob."  (Isaiah  49  : 
22—26J 

From  this  prophecy,  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  Lord  commences  His  work 
for  the  gathering  of  his  people  by 
lifting  up  His  hand  to  the  Gentiles  and 
by  setting  up  a  standard  to  the  people. 
This  work  has  already  commenced 
among  this  Gentile  nation.  He  has 
already  lifted  up  his  hand,  by  sending 
among  them  a  great  prophet  to  bring 
forth  that  sacred  and  holy  Record — 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  as  a  "standard 
to  the  people."  And  the  time  is 
close  at  hand  when  the  kings  and  the 
queens  of  the  Gentiles  will  assist  in 
gathering  many  of  the  descendants  of 
Israel  unto  Zion  upon  this  land,  while 
those  of  the  house  of  Judah  will  flee 
to  their  own  land,  even  to  Jerusalem, 
where  they  will  suffer  many  afflic- 
tions and  great  chastisements,  because 
of  their  unbelief  in  the  true  Messiah; 
but  the  believing  of  the  other  tribes 
will  gather  to  Zion,  in  America,  where 
they  wdl  remain  until  the  full  time 
for  their  return  to  receive  their  ancient 
inheritances  in  Palestine. 

The  American  Indians,  who  are  a 
remnant  of  Israel,  will  gather  to 
Zion ;  for  they  will  believe  in  the 
history  of  their  forefathers,  contained 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon ;  they  will 
repent  of  all  their  sins,  and  become  a 
righteous  branch  of  the  house  of  Is- 
rael :  and  this  work  will  be  a  speedy 
work  among  them,  resembling  the 
birth  of  a  nation  in  a  day  ;  and  all 
the  promises  that  the  Lord  has  made 
to  Israel  and  to  the  Latter-Day  Zion, 
will  be  realized  by  these  remnants  of 
Israel  in  America.  While  their  ene- 
mies that  have  oppressed  them  will 
be  fed  with  their  own  flesh,  and  be 
drunken  with  their  own  blood,  as 
with  sweet  wine;  and  all  flesh,  from 
one  end  of  the  earth  to  the  other, 
shall  know  that  it  is  the  Lord  who 
has  humbled  the  pride  and  haughti- 
ness of  this  nation,  and  exalted  the 
remnant  of  Israel  upon  the  land. 
Then  Zion  shall  be  clothed  in  her 
beautiful    garments,    and    be    armed 


!  with  strength  ;  the  bands  of  her  neck 
J  shall  be  broken  off,  and  she  shall  be 
i  free ;  her  ensign  shall  be  lifted  on 
high  to  welcome  the  nations ;  her 
light  shall  be  as  the  sun  to  enlighten 
the  world  ;  her  tabernacles  shall  be 
the  dwelling  place  of  the  Most  High  ; 
her  dwellings  shall  be  encircled  with 
glory :  a  cloud  by  day  and  a  fire  by 
night  shall  be  her  defence;  her  walls 
shall  be  called  Salvation,  and  her 
gates  Praise.  Violence  shall  no  more 
be  heard  in  the  land ;  wasting  nor 
destruction  within  her  borders.  Then 
America  shall  be  called  the  land  of 
the  Lord,  the  holy  place  of  the  taber- 
nacles of  the  Most  High  :  then  shall 
the  fear  of  the  Lord  be  upon  all  na- 
tions, upon  their  kings,  and  upon 
their  princes,  and  upon  their  nobles, 
and  upon  their  rulers  ;  and  all  kin- 
dreds and  tongues  shall  see  the  sal- 
vation of  the  Lord,  and  behold  His 
glory;  and  submit  themselves  to  His 
laws,  for  the  whole  earth  shall  be  full 
of  His  glory  ;  and  God  himself  will  be 
in  the  midst  of  His  people  and  reign 
over  all  flesh. 

But  before  that  day  shall  come, 
what  sorrow — what  mourning — what 
lamentations  will  be  heard  in  the 
earth  !  Nations  shall  rush  fiercely  on 
nations — thrones  be  overturned — 
kingdoms  be  removed,  and  the  earth 
will  be  soaked  with  blood.  Every 
nation  under  Heaven  will  be  at  war 
except  Zion.  The  city  of  Zion  will 
be  the  only  place  of  refuge.  There 
shall  be  shelter  from  the  furious 
storms,  and  tempests,  and  whirl- 
winds, that  will  agitate  the  nations 
and  toss  them  to  and  fro  upon  the 
raging  billows.  There  the  righteous 
shall  find  safety  and  dwell  securely 
in  peaceable  habitations ;  and  none 
shall  molest  them  or  make  them 
afraid.  Oh,  that  the  people  would 
open  their  eyes  and  discern  the  signs 
of  the  times!  for  if  they  will  not 
take  warning,  they  must  perish  !  But 
they  rush  blindly  on,  giving  no  heed 
to  the  prophecies  of  the  holy  prophets, 
nor  to  the  voice  of  the  Lord  which  is 
kindly  calling  after  them;  nor  to  the 
voice  of  His  seivants,  who  are  labor- 
ing  day   and  night   to   rescue  them 


UTAH. 


271 


from  the  coming  evils  !  The  voice  of 
mercy  falls  listlessly  upon  their  ears, 
or  is  entirely  lost  in  the  confusion  of 
great  Babylon  !  Gladly  would  we 
awake  them  to  the  sense  of  the  aw- 
ful dangers  which  threaten  them  ■,  but 
the  slumbers  of  death  have  taken  a 
firm  hold  upon  them,  and  they  are 
prepared  for  the  slaughter,  and  to  the 
slaughter  they  will  go. 

Let  the  saints  study  the  prophecies 
diligently,  and  then  look  at  the  signs 
of  the  times ;  and  they  will  see  the 
hand  writing  of  destruction  in  broad 
and  legible  characters  written  upon 
all  tbe  thrones,  and  kingdoms,  and  na- 
tions of  great  Babylon.     Hear,  then, 


Oh  ye  saints,  the  great  voice  from 
heaven,  saying,  "  Come  out  of  her,  O 
my  people,  lest  ye  partake  of  her  sins, 
and  receive  of  her  plagues  ;  for  her 
sins  have  reached  to  the  heavens,  and 
God  hath  remembered  her  iniquities." 
Therefore,  flee  ye,  get  ye  out  of  the 
midst  of  her!  Stay  not;  tarry  not, 
lest  while  you  linger,  some  sore  ca- 
lamity or  sudden  evil  befall  you.  We 
speak  more  particu'arly  of  the  saints 
in  the  United  States.  The  destroyer 
is  sent  forth  to  lay  waste  and  destroy, 
and  his  mission  is  to  the  nations 
of  Babylon,  and  he  will  not  return, 
nor  cease,  until  he  hath  made  a  full 
end. 


UTAH 


Our  latest  intelligence  from  Utah  is  j 
np  to  the  12th  of  Dec.  All  things  ap- 
parently  were  in  a  prosperous  condi- 
tion. Two  volunteer  companies,  un- 
der the  direction  of  Elder  Orson  Hyde, 
had  started  in  the  month  of  Nov.  to 
form  a  settlement  between  one  and 
two  hundred  miles  east  of  Salt  Lake 
City,  on  Green  river.  They  were 
well  fitted  out  with  farming  utensils, 
and  every  thing  necessary  for  the 
formation  of  a  permanent  settlement. 
A  colony  formed  in  that  vicinity  will 
be  of  great  importance  in  rendering 
aid  and  assistance  to  the  weary  emi- 
grant, as  he  pursues  his  tedious  and 
lonelv  track  towards  Oregon  and  Cal- 
ifornia. The  emigrating  Saints  will, 
also,  reap  much  benefit  in  finding  set- 
tlements of  their  own  brethren  near 
two  hundred  miles  east  of  their  desti- 
nation. It  is  to  be  hoped  that  this 
little  colony  will  flourish  and  prosper. 

The  Indians  of  the  territory  appear 
to  be  more  friendly  than  they  were 
a  few  months  since.  The  massacre 
of  Captain  Gunnison  and  party  was 
by  a  band  of  the  Par-van-tes  who 
were  highly  exasperated  by  the  brutal 
conduct  of  a  company  of  California 


emigrants,  under  the  command  of  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Hillsworth,  who 
had  wantonly  killed  one  of  their  num- 
ber and  wounded  two  others ;  previ- 
ous to  this,  that  small  tribe  had  been 
friendly  with  the  whites.  The  Saints 
bave  constantly  studied  the  welfare 
of  the  red-men,  although  they  have, 
in  some  few  instances,  been  reluct- 
antly compelled  to  defend  themselves 
against  their  depradations.  The  In- 
dians in  that  territory,  near  our  set- 
tlements, are  in  a  ten  fold  more  pros- 
perous condition  than  they  were  pre- 
vious to  the  location  of  the  Saints  in 
the  country.  Through  the  wise  and 
humane  policy  of  Governor  Young, 
and  of  the  people  generally,  there  is 
a  bright  prospect  of  extending  civili- 
zation and  Christianity  among  the  un- 
cultivated and  savage  tribes  of  the  in- 
terior. Already  many  of  their  children 
are  being  comfortably  clothed  and  fed, 
and  are  acquiring  the  first  rudiments 
of  an  English  education.  And  it  is  to 
be  hoped,  that  not  many  years  hence, 
we  shall  see  whole  tribes  laying  aside 
|  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife,  and 
I  pursuing  the  peaceful  avocations  of  a 
1  civilized  life. 


272 


EXTRACT  FROM  GOV.  YOUNG  S  MESSAGE. 


EXTRACT 

FROM  GOVERNOR  YOUNG'S  MESSAGE  TO  THE  LEGISLATURE  OF  UTAH. 


Happily  for  Utah,  she  has  no  party 
politics  for  her  Legislature  to  discuss, 
she  can  therefore  lend  her  energies 
for  the  benefit  of  the  country,  and 
practicing  that  industry,  so  worthy  of 
imitation  by  the  people,  benefit  them 
by  example,  as  well  as  precept. 

Judging  the  future  by  the  present 
and  past,  unparalleled  prosperity  is 
dawning  upon  us  as  a  people.  Health 
and  contentment  universally  prevail, 
and  the  mountain  breezes,  and  cool- 
ing streams  bring  vigorous  strength 
and  action.  Nature's  wilderness  is 
fast  receding  before  the  scythe,  the 
sickle,  and  the  plow,  and  her  swarthy 
children  keep  company  with  the 
mountain  game,  or  retire  with  the 
Buffalo  of  the  arid  and  extended  plain, 
to  make  way,  to  give  place  for  the 
pale  face,  the  citizen  who  inhabits 
houses,  and  cultivates  the  ground. 
Although  far  distant  from  the  chan- 
nels of  the  trade  and  commerce  of  the 
world,  and,  moreover,  isolated  in  a 
great  degree  from  the  influence  of  her 
society,  yet  it  is  a  rich  inheritance 
which  has  been  extended  unto  us, 
and  which  in  due  time  will,  if  rightly 


improved,  add  a  brilliant  to  the  con- 
stellation of  nations  illuminating  the 
northern  hemisphere. 

As  hitherto,  self-exertion  meets  her 
own  reward,  and  the  laborer  delves 
with  a  certain  prospect  of  success, 
and  the  teeming  earth  yields  forth  her 
fruits  and  grain,  in  rich  abundance, 
for  the  sustenance  of  the  children  of 
her  bosom. 

Let  us  continue  to  cultivate  the 
arts  of  peace,  and  impart  to  the  weary 
wanderer  comfort  and  consolation, 
abiding  in  charily  and  benevolence 
towards  our  fellows,  whether  found 
in  the  forlorn  wandering  ignorance  of 
ages,  or  the  enlightened  bondage  of 
tradition  and  error. 

Feeling  to  reciprocate  for  past  kind- 
ness and  forbearance,  1  shall  ever  be 
ready  to  participate  with  you  in  your 
labors,  hoping  that  our  united  exer- 
tions may  become  advantageous,  and 
promote  the  interest,  prosperity,  rapid 
growth,  and  advancement  of  the  rising 
State. 

BRIGHAM  YOUNG. 


Utah  Territory, 
Executive   Office 
Dec.  12,  1853 


1 


CONTENTS: 

New  Revelation, 257 

Zion  of  Enoch, , 261 

Latter-Day  Zion, 265 

Utah 271 

Extract  from  Governor  Young's  Message  to  the  Legislature  of  Utah 272 


WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.  C. 

EDITED  AND  PUBLISHED  BY  ORSON  PRATT. 

Jil  $1  per  annum,  invariably  in  advance. 


All  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  earth,  See  Ye,  when  He 
lifteth  up  an  Ensign  on  the  Mountains.— Isaiah  xvm,  3. 


Vol.  II. 


JUNE",    18  54 


No.  6. 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE  SAINTS. 


BY    THE     EDITOR. 


Among  all  the  blessings  which  God 
has  promised  to  fallen  man,  there  are 
none  greater  than  that  of  (he  resur- 
rection of  the  body  to  eternal  life  and 
happiness.  The  life  that  we  now  en- 
joy, though  mingled  with  sorrow  and 
trouble,  is  still  desirable  and  sought 
after  most  eagerly  by  man.  When 
death  stares  him  in  the  face,  he  would 
be  willing  to  part  with  thrones  and 
kingdoms,  with  houses  and  lands,  and 
with  all  his  possessions,  could  he  re- 
deem himself  from  the  grasp  of  this 
awful  monster.  Many  remedies  have 
been  sought  out  and  prescribed,  not  to 
redeem  man  from  death,  but  to  shield 
and  protect  him  fora  few  years  longer 
from  this  fearful  enemy.  But  no  one 
has  been  able  to  discover  a  remedy 
that  will  render  man  immortal.  All 
are  overtaken,  sooner  or  later,  by  the 
grim  tyrant  and  prostrated  low  in  the 
dust.  Generation  after  generation  fall 
beneath  the  mighty  conqueror!  Oh, 
how  dismal  must  be  the  thought  of  a 
never-ending  sleep  in  the  tomb !  Death 
must  be  bitter  indeed,  to  those  who 
have  no  knowledge  of  the  resurrec- 
tion— who  lay  their  bodies  down 
without  the  least  idea  of  receiving 
them  again  ;  and  yet,  many  hundreds 
of  millions  have  passed  away  without 
the  faintest  hope  of  a  future  resurrec- 
tion— who  suppose  that  they  part  with 
their  bodies  for  ever. 

Could  man  be  fully  persuaded  that 
his  body  would  rise  again  from  the 


grave,  and  that  he  would  live,  and 
move,  and  act,  as  he  does  now,  and 
enjoy  the  same  that  he  now  experi- 
ences, he  would  consider  it  a  blessing 
far  greater  than  earthly  riches  or  hon- 
ors ;  and  were  he  certain  that  such  a 
blessing  could  be  attained,  there  would 
be  no  sacrifice  too  great  for  him  to 
make  in  order  to  secure  an  immortal- 
ity in  a  world  that  would  afford  him 
no  greater  happiness  than  the  present 
one.  If,  then,  in  a  world  like  this, 
where  troubles  meet  us  on  every  side, 
we  still  enjoy  life,  and  so  earnestly 
cling  to  it,  what  would  be  our  joy 
were  we  assured  of  a  resurrection  to 
an  eternal  life  of  the  most  perfect  hap- 
piness ?  where  no  troubles  or  sorrows 
could  ever  come  ?  where  death  could 
no  more  enter?  What  tidings  could 
be  more  joyful  to  the  soul  than  these  ? 

Now,  the  inhabitants  of  this  fallen 
world  have  been  most  positively  as- 
sured by  the  word  of  God,  that  their 
bodies  shall  all  live  again — that  they 
shall  be  called  forth  from  the  dust  and 
be  reorganized,  and  that  the  same  spirts 
which  once  inhabited  them,  shall  re- 
animate them  again.  This  redemp- 
tion of  the  body  is  not  a  partial  one — 
that  is,  the  body  is  not  merely  re- 
deemed from  the  grave  to  a  life  of 
mortality  subject  to  a  second  disso- 
lution, but  it  is  redeemed  to  immor- 
tality— the  spirit  being  re-united  with 
the  body  never  more  to  be  disunited. 

The  resurrection  of  the  body  from 


274 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE   SAINTS. 


the  dust  will  be  effected  by  the  word 
and  power  of  God.  The  Spirit  of 
God  which  dwells  in  the  elements, 
will,  by  His  command,  bring  them  to- 
gether,, depositing  every  particle  in  its 
proper  position,  so  as  to  form  a  per- 
fect tabernacle !  The  deformities  ex- 
isting in  the  mortal  body,  will  not  ap- 
pear in  our  resurrection  bodies;  bat 
all  who  are  counted  worthy  to  receive 
a  celestial  body,  will  appear  in  the 
image  and  likeness  of  the  glorified 
body  of  Jesus  ;  and  his  body  is  in  the 
express  image  and  likeness  of  his 
Father's  person.  Paul,  in  speaking  of 
the  resurrection  says,  that  Jesus  "shall 
change  our  vile  body,  that  it  may  be 
fashioned  like  unto  his  glorious  bodv." 
(Philippians  3:  21.)  Notwithstand- 
ing we  shall  be  fashioned  like  his 
body,  yet  there  will  be  a  variety  of 
features  and  size  by  which  one  will  be 
distinguished  from  another,  the  same 
as  in  this  life.  The  likeness  will  be 
in  the  general  outlines — in  the  perfec- 
tion of  the  organization — in  the  beau- 
tiful adjustment  of  the  several  parts — 
in  the  perfect  symmetry  of  the  whole 
— and  in  the  purity,  immortality,  and 
glory  with  which  it  is  filled  and  sur- 
rounded. In  all  these  respects  there 
will  be  a  perfect  likeness.  But  when 
sizes  are  compared,  there  will  be  a 
great  variety  from  the  tabernacles  of 
infants  up  through  every  grade  to  those 
of  gigantic  magnitude.  Although  there 
will  be  an  endless  variety  of  features, 
yet  all  will  appear  equally  glorious 
and  beautiful  ;  the  beauty  being  the 
result  of  the  perfection  and  glory  of 
the  spirit  inhabiting  the  tabernacle. 
There  will  undoubtedly  be  distin- 
guishing characteristics  relating  to  the 
age  attained  previous  to  the  dissolu- 
tion. This  distinction  will  probably 
be  manifested,  in  some  small  degree, 
in  the  countenance  and  in  the  color  of 
the  hair,  and  in  the  difference  of  size 
between  the  child  and  the  man  of  gray 
hairs.  In  all  the  works  of  God,  we 
behold  a  resemblance  among  classes  ; 
but  a  variety  among  individuals  belong- 
ing to  each  class.  All  the  planets  of 
our  system  resemble  each  other  more 
or  less  in  form;  but  in  magnitude  and 
in  many    other   respects,,  there   is  a 


great  variety.  In  every  species  of  an- 
imals and  plants,  there  are  many  re- 
semblances in  the  general  outlines,, 
and  many  specific  differences  charac- 
terizing the  individuals  of  each  species. 
So  in  the  resurrection  :  there  will  be 
several  classes  of  resurrection  bodies; 
some  celestial,  some  terrestrial,  some 
telestial,  and  some  sons  of  perdition. 
Each  of  these  classes  will  differ  from 
the  others  by  prominent  and  marked 
distinctions ;  yet  in  each,  considered 
by  itself,  there  will  be  found  many  re- 
semblances as  well  as  distinctions. 
There  will  be  some  physical  peculi- 
arity by  which  each  individual  in  every 
class  can  be  identified. 

Will  the  same  identical  materials 
composing  the  mortal  body  be  reor- 
ganized in  the  resurrection  body  ? — 
There  will,  be  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
those  materials  brought  forth  to  form 
a  perfect  tabernacle  for  the  spirit.  But 
it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  every  parti- 
cle, which  at  any  time  has  formed  a 
component  part  of  the  mortal  body, 
will  be  raised  and  enter  into  the  im- 
mortal one.  Many  persons  by  severe 
sickness,  lose  from  fifty  to  a  hundred 
pounds  of  flesh  in  the  course  of  a  few 
months ;  and  after  recovering,  they 
not  unfrequently,  in  the  course  of  one 
or  two  years,  regain  as  much  flesh  as 
they  lost.  And  in  the  course  of  a  long 
life,  they  may,  by  successive  intervals 
of  health  and  sickness,  gain  and  lose 
from  ten  to  fifteen  hundred  pounds 
of  flesh.  Now  it  would  be  altogether 
absurd  to  suppose  that  these  ten  or 
fifteen  hundred  pounds  of  flesh  are  all 
to  be  reorganized  in  the  resurrection 
body.  The  same  reasoning  will  ap- 
ply to  the  bones  as  well  as  the  flesh, 
for  small  pieces  of  bones  may  be  ex- 
tracted from  the  system,  and  by  the 
deposition  of  new  matter,  new  bones, 
or  rather  parts  'of  bones,  will  be 
formed ;  and  in  the  course  of  a  long 
life,  there  could  be  many  pounds  of 
bone  extracted  by  small  pieces  at  suc- 
cessive intervals  from  the  human  sys- 
tem, and  many  pounds  of  new  bone 
formed  to  supply  the  place  of  the  old. 
Also,  children  shed  their  teeth,  and 
others  grow  in  their  stead.  Now  we 
cannot  suppose  that  in  the  resurrec- 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE   SAINTS. 


275 


lion,  the  old  and  new  teeth,  and  the 
old  and  new  bones  will  all  be  raised 
and  enter  into  the  composition  of  the 
immortal  body.  Many  persons  cut  oil' 
over  one-tenth  of  an  inch  of  their 
beard  every  week,  which,  in  the 
course  of  a  year,  will  amount  to  over 
five  inches,  and  in  the  course  of  sixty 
years,  will  amount  to  over  twenty-five 
feet.  And  those  who  are  in  the  habit 
of  paring  off  the  ends  of  the  finger 
and  toe  nails,  will  find  that  in  the 
course  of  sixty  or  eighty  years,  they 
have  actually  cut  off  from  each  finger 
and  toe,  from  six  to  eight  feet  of  nail. 
If,  therefore,  all  the  old  materials  of 
the  human  system  are  to  arise,  we 
shall  be  favored  with  a  beard  and  hair 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty  feet  long ; 
with  finger  and  toe  nails,  six  or  eight 
feet  long*,  with  two  sets  of  teeth,  and 
with  ten  or  fifteen  hundred  pounds  of 
flesh  and  bones.  Such  a  supposition 
would  be  ridiculous.  We  are,  there- 
fore, compelled  to  believe  that  in  the 
resurrection,  each  immortal  body  only 
takes  that  quantity  of  the  old  materi- 
als as  is  amply  sufficient  to  form  a 
beautiful  and  perfect  tabernacle  for  the 
spirit. 

It  is  believed  by  many  scientific 
men  that  our  bodies  are  constantly 
and  gradually  changing  through  the 
whole  of  our  lives,  and  that  in  the 
period  of  from  seven  to  ten  years, 
the  whole  body  undergoes  an  entire 
change  ;  the  old  particles  having  been 
thrown  off,  and  new  ones  having  suc- 
ceeded in  their  stead,  and  that  the 
reason  why  many  old  scars  remain 
during  a  long  life  is,  because  the  new 
particles  in  the  gradual  interchange, 
take  the  position  of  the  old,  necessa- 
rily perpetuating  the  shape  of  the  scar 
years  after  the  old  particles  have  fled. 
It  is  pretended  that  this  doctrine  is  es- 
tablished by  many  indubitable  eviden- 
ces that  cannot  be  shaken.  If  we 
should  admit  this  idea  to  be  correct,  it 
would  still  further  prove  that  in  the  res- 
urrection all  the  materials  of  the  mortal 
body  do  not  come  forth  ;  for  an  old 
man  whose  weight  has  been  some  two 
hundred  pounds  the  most  of  his  days, 
and  having  passed  through  ten  entire 
changes  of  the  materials  of  his  sys- 


tem, would  have  had,  during  his  life, 
about  one  ton  of  flesh  and  bones  that 
has  been  successively  deposited  and 
thrown  off,  and  in  the  resurrection  not 
over  one-tenth  part  of  these  materials 
would  be  needed  to  construct  the  im- 
mortal body.  Therefore,  whether  we 
admit  the  idea  of  a  constant  and  grad- 
ual change,  or  sudden  changes,  pro- 
duced by  successive  intervals  of  sick- 
ness and  health,  we  are  led  to  the 
same  conclusion,  that  only  a  part  of 
the  old  materials  of  the  mortal  body 
will  enter  into  the  composition  of  the 
immortal  one. 

Some  persons  have  denied  the  pos- 
sibility of  the  resurrection,  on  the 
ground  that  among  cannibals,  where 
they  are  in  the  constant  habit  of  de- 
vouring human  flesh,  one  human  body 
is,  in  a  great  measure,  formed  out  of 
the  component  parts  of  many  others. 
And  because  the  same  particles  have,, 
at  successive  periods,  existed  in  scores 
of  individuals,  forming  parts  of  each 
successive  tabernacle,  they  argue  that 
each  individual  has  equal  claim  upon 
the  same  identical  particles.  And  as 
the  same  particles  in  the  resurrection 
can  only  be  organized  in  one  body  at 
the  same  time,  they  reason  that  all 
the  others  who  have  equal  claims  to 
the  same,  would  be  lacking  of  the 
necessary  materials,  and  consequently 
could  not  rise.  If,  in  this  argument, 
the  premises  are  granted,  the  conclu- 
sions would  be  correct.  But  the 
premises  are  false  :  for  all  flesh  was 
originally  formed  from  earthly  and 
vegetable  matter ;  and  though  canni- 
bals and  carniverous  animals  grow  and 
increase,  both  in  size  and  weight, 
on  flesh  ;  yet  that  very  flesh,  when 
traced  back  through  successive  ani- 
mals which  have  been  devoured,  will 
be  found  to  have  originated  in  herbif- 
erous  animals  whose  flesh  is  wholly 
composed  of  earthly  and  vegetable 
substances.  Now  the  amount  of 
vegetable  substances,  converted  into 
flesh,  is  not  only  equal  to,  but  far 
greater  than  the  amount  of  animal 
substances,  converted  into  the  flesh  of 
other  animals.  This  is  evident  from 
the  constant  change  to  which  the 
bodies  of  all  animals  are  subject,  ow- 


276 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE   SAINTS. 


ing  to  the  removal  of  old  particles, 
and  the  deposition  of  new,  as  mani- 
fested by  a  decrease  or  increase  of 
flesh,  depending  on  the  scarcity  or 
abundance  of  food.  When  we  take 
into  consideration  the  whole  animal 
kingdom,  nothing  is  more  certain 
than  that  the  flesh,  formed  by  de- 
vouring other  flesh,  can  never  exceed 
in  weight  the  flesh  formed  from  vege- 
tables and  earthly  matter :  indeed  it 
would  be  an  absolute  impossibility  for 
the  former  ever  to  exceed  the  latter. 
And  when  we  take  into  consideration 
the  calls  of  the  appetite,  and  that 
every  animal,  in  the  course  of  a  very 
few  years,  requires  many  times  its  own 
weight  in  food,  it  demonstrates  be- 
yond all  controversy  that  the  amount 
of  flesh,  formed  from  herbs  and  veg- 
etables, must  far  exceed,  by  many 
times  its  own  weight,  that  formed 
by  devouring  flesh;  for  were  it  not 
so,  the  former  would  in  a  very  few 
months  be  wholly  devoured  by  the 
latter,  and  the  earth  would  speedily 
be  depopulated  of  men  and  animals. 

II,  then,  the  amount  of  flesh,  form- 
ed directly  from  vegetable  substances, 
exceed,  by  an  immense  quantity,  all 
other  kinds  of  flesh,  it  demonstrates 
the  fact,  that  in  the  resurrection  the 
whole  hcrbiferous  and  carniverous 
tribes  of  the  land  and  water,  includ- 
ing fish,  fowls,  animals,  and  men, 
could  be  raised  up  from  the  dust  with 
immortal  bodies,  constructed  of  the 
same  identical  particles,  or  rather  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  them,  that  once 
existed  in  the  form  of  mortal  flesh ; 
and  still  there  would  be  an  immense 
quantity  to  spare,  being  surplus  flesh, 
arising  from  the  constant  mutations  or 
changes  to  which  all  mortal  flesh  is 
subject. 

We  will  venture  to  remark  still 
further,  that  should  it  be  maintained 
that  even  every  vegetable  of  our  globe 
should  be  reconstructed  and  made 
new,  there  would  be  an  abundance  of 
materials  that  have  once  existed  in 
those  vegetables  to  form  them  all 
anew  without  making  use  of  any  for 
eign  matter  that  has  not  been  thus 
organized.  This  may,  at  first  view, 
appear  impossible  ;  it  may  be  8Uj  posed 


that  as  the  whole  animal  kingdom,  if 
raised  to  immortality,  being  composed 
of  vegetable  matter,  would  require  a 
vast  amount  of  the  vegetable  materials 
to  reconstruct  their  immortal  bodies ; 
and  that,  therefore,  if  the  whole  vege- 
table kingdom  was  likewise  to  receive 
a  resurrection,  it  would  require  that 
portion  of  its  materials  which  con- 
stitutes animal  flesh.  But  this  would 
be  unnecessary  :  for  the  same  change, 
which  is  said  to  be  constantly  taking 
place  in  the  animal  body,  is  also  af- 
firmed to  be  a  characteristic  in  the 
vegetable  economy.  It  is  said  that 
every  blade  of  grass — every  herb  and 
plant,  and  every  tree,  is  constantly 
throwing  off  or  parting  with  its  old 
particles,  and  that  new  matter  is  every 
moment  being  secreted  to  supply  the 
place  of  the  old.  It  is  said  that  a  tree, 
as  well  as  a  man,  undergoes  an  entire 
change  of  materials  every  few  years. 
If  this  be  the  case,  the  whole  vegeta- 
ble kingdom,  including  those  of  every 
age,  might  be  reorganized  out  of  old 
vegetable  particles,  without  interfer- 
ing, in  the  least,  with  that  portion  of 
vegetable  matter  which  enters  into  the 
animal  economy ;  and,  also,  without 
being  under  the  necessity  of  borrow- 
ing materials  from  foreign  sources, 
that  never  were  before  vegetable  con- 
stituents. 

Without  coinciding  with  the  views 
of  the  scientific  world  in  regard  to  the 
constant  and  gradual  change,  operat- 
ing upon  all  organic  substances,  by 
which  they  are  said  to  contain,  in  the 
course  of  a  long  period,  several  times 
the  quantity  of  matter  that  they  inherit 
at  any  one  time,  we  can  still  account 
for  the  resurrection  and  reconstruction 
of  all  organic  bodies,  both  of  the  veg- 
etable and  animal  kingdoms,  by  sup- 
posing,  that  in  the  renewal  of  those 
bodies,  it  is  not  absolutely  necessary 
that  their  whole  systems  should  be 
composed  of  materials  which  have 
previously  been  thus  organized.  If 
there  be  enough  of  the  old  materials 
to  form  the  germ  or  nucleus  of  the 
resurrection  body,  it  will  not  matter, 
in  our  view  of  the  subject,  whether 
the  balance  of  the  materials  are  the 
old  particles  again  collected,  or  foreign 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE   SAINTS. 


277 


matter,  similar  in  kind,  but  not  identi- 
cal in  substance.     In  the  formation  of 
a  drop  of  water,  it  would  make  no  dif- 
ference, whether  it  were  composed  of 
the  eight  parts  of  oxygen  and  one  of 
hydrogen  that  it  was  previously  com- 
posed of,  or  whether  the  same  propor- 
tions of  these  elements  were  derived 
from  some  foreign  source  where  they 
never  had  existed  in  combination  as 
water.     Two  drops  of  pure  water — 
one  formed  in  Asia  and  the  other  in 
America,  would  be  composed  of  the 
same  definite  proportions  of  their  ele- 
mentary constituents — would  have  the 
same  properties  and  qualities  in  every 
respect ;  and  one  could  be  changed  for 
the  other  without  the  least  inconveni- 
ence, and  would  subserve  exactly  the 
same  purpose  in  all  experiments,  con- 
ditions, or  circumstances  to  which  it 
might  be  subjected  :  and,  therefore,  the 
original  circumstances   in   which   the 
elements  existed,  would  not  have  the 
least  bearing  upon  their  present  com- 
binations and  future  purposes.     If  the 
particles  of  the  body,  themselves,  were 
intelligent  and  accountable  beings,  they 
then  might,  with  some  propriety,  con- 
tend that  it  was  their  right  to  be  re- 
organized into  an  immortal  tabernacle 
in  connection  with  their  old  compan- 
ions, and  again  be  placed  in  conjunc- 
tion with    the  same   immortal   spirit 
that  governed  and  controlled  them  in 
their  mortal  career.     But  if  those  par- 
ticles only  exist  as  an  organized  taber- 
nacle for  the  accommodation  and  hap- 
piness of  the  immoital  spirit,  and  they 
themselves    are  not  benefited,  or  re- 
main insensible  to  their  condition,  then 
it  would  make  no  difference,  so  far  as 
they  are  concerned,  whether  they  were 
reorganized  in  the  bodies  of  men,  or 
brutes,  or  remain  unorganized  •,  and  it 
certainly  would  make  no  difference  to 
the  human  spirit  what  particular  par- 
ticles its  tabernacle   was  constructed 
of,  providing  the  organization  was  per- 
fect and  consisted  of  the  right  kind  of 
matter. 

Paul  compares  the  resurrection  to 
the  growing  up  of  grain  after  it  is  sown 
and  dies.  "  But  some  man  will  say, 
How  are  the  dead  raised  up  ?  and  with 
what  body  do  they  come  ?  Thou  fool, 


that  which  thou  sowest  is  not  quick- 
ened, except  it  die :    and  that  which 
thou  ^sowest,  thou    sowest  not   that 
body  that  shall  be,  but  bare  grain,  it 
may  chance  of  wheat,  or  of  some  other 
grain  :  but  God  giveth  it  a  body  as  it 
hath  pleased  him,  and  to  every  seed 
his  own  body.     All  flesh  is  not  the 
same  flesh  :  but  there  is  one  kind  of 
flesh  of  men,  another  of  beasts,  another 
of  fishes,  and  another  of  birds."     (1 
Corinth.  15  :  35—39.)     When  a  ker- 
nel of  wheat  falls  into  the  earth,  it  dies, 
or  rather  a  portion  of  its  substance  is 
disorganized ;    and    the    germ    unites 
itself  with  other  materials,  and  forms 
a  stalk    which   heads,  and   blossoms, 
and  numerous  other  kernels  of  wheat 
begin  to  make  their  appearance  which 
grow  and  ripen;  and  it  is  at  length 
found  that  sixty  or  a  hundred  other 
kernels  of  the  same,  shape,  size,  and 
quality,  as  the  one  sown,  are  produced. 
Now  these  new  kernels  are  not  the 
same  identical  materials  sown  :  neither 
is  the  one-hundredth  part  of  the  old 
particles  found  combined  in  each   of 
the  new  :  they  are  each  composed  of 
almost  entire  new  substance  that  never 
was  before  organized  as  wheat :    The 
old  particles  were  only  necessary  as  a 
foundation  to  give  direction  to  the  or- 
ganization,   that    the    new    might   be 
moulded   after   the    old,   bearing   the 
same  appearance,  and  possessing  the 
same  quality.     Hence  the  farmer  sow- 
eth   not  that   body  that  shall  be,  but 
he  soweth  its  likeness;  and  other  bodies 
of  the    same  form  spring  forth.     So 
likewise  man  sows  not  the  body  that 
shall  be,  but  he  sows  one  containing 
the  form,  and  magnitude,  and,  in  some 
degree,    the    elements  of  the   new. — 
Without  the  sowing  of  the  old  wheat, 
and  its  dissolution  in  the  earth,    the 
new  could  not  be  expected  :   so  also, 
without  our  bodies  are  sown  in   cor- 
ruption, there  would  be  no  foundation 
for  incorruptible  bodies.     And  as  the 
new  wheat   is  mostly   composed  of 
new  particles  never  before  organized 
as  wheat;  so,  it  is  probable,  that  the 
new  immortal  body  will  contain  much 
matter  never  before  organized  in  hu- 
man bodies. 

"But  God  giveth  it  a  body  as  it 


278 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE   SAINTS. 


hath  pleased  Him,  and  to  every  seed 
his  own  body;"  that  is,  God  doth  not 
cause  thorns  to  grow  from  figs,  nor 
wheat  to  spring  from  potatoes,  nor 
elephants  to  be  produced  from  raus- 
quitoes  :  but  He  giveth  to  "every  seed 
his  own  body,"  not  the  identical  old 
one,  but  one  in  its  likeness  in  magni- 
tude, form,  and  construction.  UA11 
flesh  is  not  the  same  flesh  :  but  there 
is  one  kind  of  flesh  of  men,  another 
flesh  of  beasts,  another  of  fishes,  and 
another  of  birds."  When  the  ponder- 
ous whale  that  flounces  in  the  mighty 
deep,  is  raised  from  the  dead,  he  will 
not  take  the  form  of  the  rhinoceros, 
neither  will  the  tiger,  in  the  resurrec- 
tion morn,  put  on  the  form  of  a  shark, 
neither  shall  we  have  wolves  converted 
into  lambs,  nor  lions  into  cows  ;  but  in 
the  resurrection,  God  will  give  to  every 
seed  his  own  body ;  not  the  identical 
one,  but  a  similar  one,  so  that  the  dif- 
ferent species  of  fish,  fowls,  and  animals 
will  be  distinguished  from  each  other. 
The  springing  forth  of  new  grain 
from  the  kernel  of  the  old  which  falls 
into  the  earth  and  dies,  is  analogous 
to  the  resurrection  only  in  those  qual- 
ities already  named  ;  and  this  seems  to 
be  as  far  as  the  apostle  intended  the 
analogy  to  be  carried  when  he  made 
use  of  the  representation.  The  new 
wheat,  like  the  old,  is  subject  to  decay  ; 
but  the  new  body  is  immortal  and 
eternal,  and  in  this  respect  is  unlike 
the  old.  The  new  wheat  is  formed 
through  a  gradual  and  rather  lengthy 
process  of  growth;  while  the  immor- 
tal body  is  organized  at  once  of  the 
proper  size  and  form  :  the  former  is 
slow  in  its  operation;  the  latter  is  a 
(quick  and  sudden  work,  when  com- 
pared with  the  formation  of  the  infant 
through  the  process  of  generation,  and 
its  gradual  growth  to  manhood:  and 
•even  when  compared  with  the  slow 
process  of  the  growth  of  grain,  it  may 
be  considered  a  quick  and  sudden 
work.  There  is  no  doubt,  but  what 
ihe  resurrection  will  occupy  a  short 
interval  of  time  in  the  formation  and 
completion  of  the  different  organs  and 
frame  work  of  the  immortal  body.  It 
will  not  be  as  sudden  as  a  flash  of 
lightning,  or  as   the   twinkling  of  an 


eye;  neither  will  it  be  a  prolonged 
work,  like  that  of  the  growth  of  vege- 
tables, or  the  still  slower  growth  of 
animals. 

Ezekiel  describes  the  resurrection  as 
follows  :  "  The  hand  of  the  Lord  was 
upon  me,  and  carried  me  out  in  the 
spirit  of  the  Lord,  and  set  me  down 
in  the  midst  of  the  valley  which  was 
full  of  bones,  and  caused  me  to  pass 
by  them  round  about :  and  behold  1 
there  were  very  many  in  the  open 
valley  :  and  lo !  they  were  very  dry. 
And  he  said  unto  me,  Son  of  man, 
Can  these  bones  live  ?  And  I  an- 
swered, O  Lord  God,  thou  knowest. 
Again  he  said  unto  me,  Prophesy  upon 
these  bones,  and  say  unto  them,  O  ye 
dry  bones,  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord. 
Thus  saith  the  Lord  God  unto  these 
bones ;  Behold,  I  will  cause  breath  to 
enter  into  you,  and  ye  shall  live :  and 
I  will  lay  sinews  upon  you,  and  will 
bring  up  flesh  upon  you,  and  cover 
you  with  skin,  and  put  breath  in  you, 
and  ye  shall  live;  and  ye  shall  know 
that  I  am  the  Lord.  So  I  prophesied 
as  I  was  commanded  :  and  as  I  proph- 
esied, there  was  a  noise,  and  behold  a 
shaking,  and  the  bones  came  together 
bone  to  his  bone.  And  when  1  beheld, 
lo !  the  sinews  and  the  flesh  came  up 
upon  them,  and  the  skin  covered  them 
above:  but  there  was  no  breath  in  them. 
Then  said  he  unto  me,  Prophesy  unto 
the  wind,  prophesy,  Son  of  Alan,  and 
say  to  the  wind,  Thus  saith  the  Lord 
God;  Come  from  the  four  winds,  Q 
breath,  and  breathe  upon  these  slain, 
that  they  may  live.  So  I  prophesied 
as  he  commanded  me,  and  the  breath 
came  into  them,  and  they  lived,  and 
stood  upon  their  feet,  an  exceeding 
great  army.''     (Ezekiel37:   1  — 10.) 

From  this  vision  of  the  resurrection, 
we  can  see  that  it  is  not  accomplished 
in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye :  first  the 
bones  come  together,  bone  to  its  bone  ; 
and  thus  the  foundation  and  frame- 
work is  laid  ;  secondly,  the  ilesh  and 
sinews  come  upon  the  bones;  thirdly, 
the  skin  covers  the  flesh  and  sinews; 
and  lastly,  the  breath  enters  them,  and 
they  live  and  stand  upon  their  feet.  In 
cases  where  the  bones  are  decayed,  as 
well  as  flesh,  sinews,  and  skin,  the  first 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE  SAINTS. 


279 


process  will  be  to  bring  together  the 
particles  and  form  the  various  bones, 
after  which  they  will  be  joined  together 
in  their  appropriate  positions.  The 
formation  of  so  many  bodies  directly 
from  the  dust,  will  require  a  wisdom 
and  skill  far  surpassing  our  utmost 
comprehension-  but  there  will  be 
nothing  more  marvelous  in  this,  than 
there  was  in  the  formation  of  the  tab- 
ernacles of  our  first  parents  who  were 
constructed  directly  out  of  the  dust,  of 
the  full  size  and  shape. 

Indeed,  all  the  immortal  bodies  of 
flesh  and  bones  are  made  independent 
of  the  process  of  generation.  All 
fleshly  bodies  begotten  and  born  are 
mortal :  all  made  directly  out  of  the 
dust,  as  Adam  and  Eve,  and  the  first 
fish,  fowls,  and  animals,  are  immortal. 
To  organize  a  mortal  body  out  of  the 
ground,  independent  of  generation, 
would  be  something  unheard  of,  and 
consequently,  unnatural :  So  likewise, 
to  organize  an  immortal  body  of  flesh 
and  bones  by  the  process  of  generation, 
would  be  something  unheard  of,  un- 
revealed,  and  consequently  unnatural. 
We  call  that  natural  which  transpires 
in  a  certain  definite  manner,  so  that 
under  the  same  circumstances,  the 
same  event  happens,  according  to  the 
same  fixed  laws.  We  call  that  unnat- 
ural which  happens  out  of  the  ordinary 
course  :  for  an  immortal  body  of  flesh 
and  bones  to  be  born,  would  be  un- 
natural, because  we  have  no  account 
of  such  an  event  ever  happening,  or 
that  such  an  event  ever  will  happen: 
but  to  form  it  directly  from  the  dust 
would  be  natural,  because  this  is  the 
way  that  new  revelation,  as  well  as 
old,  informs  us  that  all  the  first  pairs 
of  fish  and  fowl,  beast  and  man,  were 
first  constructed ;  and  this  is  the  way 
that  the  resurrection  is  brought  about. 

There  is  nothing  more  marvelous 
about  the  resurrection  and  reorganiza- 
tion of  all  the  generations  of  men  and 
animals  out  of  the  dust,  than  there  is 
in  the  generation  of  their  mortal  bod- 
ies :  the  latter  is  just  as  miraculous  as 
the  former.  All  the  difference  is,  we 
cease  to  regard  the  latter  as  a  miracle, 
because  of  the  frequency  of  its  occur- 
rence;  while  the  former,  only  having 


happened  at  a  certain  period  before 
the  fall,  and,  in  a  few  instances,  im- 
mediately after  the  resurrection  of 
Christ,  is  regarded  in  the  light  of  a 
miracle.  When  all  the  righteous  are 
called  from  their  graves  at  the  second 
advent  of  our  Saviour-,  and  when, 
during  the  Millennium,  all  the  aged 
that  fall  asleep  in  death,  are  immedi- 
ately raised  again  to  immortality,  we 
shall  cease  to  call  the  resurrection 
any  thing  more  miraculous  than  the 
formation  of  the  mortal  tabernacle  by 
generation.  This  method  of  calling 
things  unnatural  or  natural,  miracu- 
lous or  not  miraculous,  according  to 
the  unfrequency  or  frequency  in  which 
the  events  happen,  is  extremely  erro- 
neous. Gravitation,  by  which  a  piece 
of  iron  sinks  in  the  water,  is  just  as 
miraculous  as  the  causing  of  the  same 
to  swim  on  water :  the  latter,  how- 
ever, is  called  a  miracle  because  of 
the  unfrequency  of  its  occurrence ; 
and  because  it  deviates  from  the 
former  mode  of  action,  which,  by  its 
constancy,  is  called  a  law  of  nature. 
A  deviation  from  this  law  is  called  a 
miracle ;  while  the  law  itself,  which 
is  still  more  marvelous,  is  looked  up- 
on as  nothing  but  a  common  occur- 
rence. A  law  of  nature  is  the  exer- 
tion of  the  power  of  God  upon  the 
materials  of  nature  to  make  them  act 
all  the  time  in  a  certain  fixed  definite 
manner  ;  consequently  a  law  of  nature 
is  nothing  less  than  the  continued  ex- 
ertions of  the  power  of  God,  accord- 
ing to  prescribed  laws.  A  deviation 
from  the  laws  of  nature  is  the  exertion 
of  the  power  of  God,  contrary  to  His 
general  method  of  action :  both  are 
the  effects  of  the  same  power  and  of 
the  same  God ;  but  of  the  two,  the 
laws  of  nature  are  the  most  astonish- 
ing and  the  most  marvelous,  because 
they  are  the  displays  of  Omnipotent 
power  upon  a  more  extensive  and 
grand  scale.  To  see  all  the  universe 
acted  upon  at  the  same  time,  and 
these  actions  continued  year  after 
year  without  any  interruption,  is  as- 
tonishing beyond  all  measure ;  it  is 
overwhelming  and  almost  overpower- 
ing to  every  contemplative  mind  ;  but 
to  see  a  body  spring  fortli  from  the 


2S0 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE   SAINTS. 


dust,  though  it  is  certainly  miracu- 
lous, yet  it  is  local  in  its  character, 
and  only  as  it  were  a  momentary  ac- 
tion, and  in  itself  no  more  miraculous 
than  the  springing  forth  and  growth 
of  a  blade  of  grass,  or  the  falling  of  a 
stone,  or  the  intense  power  that  holds 
together  the  particles  of  a  piece  of 
iron  ;  all  these  are  the  effects  of  that 
same  Almighty  power  that  brings 
forth  the  dead  from  their  graves,  and 
stamps  immortality  upon  all  resurrec- 
tion bodies. 

The  resurrection  is  a  gift  bestowed 
upon  all  mankind.  Because  of  the 
fall  the  human  race  forfeited  their 
bodies  and  lost  them  ;  but  the  Son  of 
God,  having  given  his  body  to  the 
shafts  of  death,  and  suffered  in  man's 
behalf,  wrought  out  a  full  and  per- 
fect redemption  for  the  bodies  of  all 
the  human  family  ;  not  a  redemption 
which  immediately  restores  man  to 
immortality,  but  a  redemption  which 
grapples  with  the  monster  death,  after 
he  has  overpowered  his  victim  and 
laid  him  low  in  the  grave.  Justice 
armed  death  with  eternal  powers  ;  it 
authorized  him  to  destroy  all  nations 
and  generations,  and  plunge  them  into 
the  dismal  gulf,  and  to  set  an  eternal 
seal  upon  them  ;  it  gave  him  power  to 
bind  them  down  with  everlasting 
chains  which  no  man  could  loose ; 
the  huge  gates  were  closed  ;  the  bolts, 
and  bars,  and  locks,  were  firmly  fast- 
ened ;  a  world  of  fallen  beings  was 
enclosed  in  the  eternal  prison  of  the. 
grave;  all  nature  wept!  and  eternity 
was  clothed  in  mourning !  while  the 
greedy  monster  death,  having  satiated 
his  capacious  maw,  sat  enthroned  up- 
on the  funeral  pile  exulting  in  the 
eternal  ruin  of  a  once  beautiful  world! 

But  hark  !  a  voice  is  heard  on  high 
of  one  mighty  and  strong  !  It  is  the 
voice  of  one  who  pleads  !  Ah  see  ! 
He  stands  before  the  majestic  throne, 
where  justice  sits  !  He  weeps  !  but 
not  for  himself;  it  is  for  fallen  man  ! 
Listen  !  he  speaks  of  mercy  for  a 
ruined  world !  What  compassion 
swells  his  bosom  !  what  lovely  words 
poured  forth  in  melting  strains  of 
mercy  !  Justice  is  moved  to  tears, 
but  still  holds  fast   the  flaming   law. 


and  with  sword  unsheathed  exclaims, 
uHo\v  can  I  show  mercy  ?  must  not 
the  penalties  of  my  law  be  inflicted  ? 
and  the  honor  of  my  throne  be  main- 
tained ?  "  The  merciful — the  kind — 
the  Holy  One,  with  bowels  yearning 
o'er  the  miseries  of  a  fallen  world, 
replies,  "On  me,  O  Justice,  let  all  thy 
vengeance  fall !  but  spare   these    my 

brethren  !  "      Mercy    prevailed the 

offer  was  accepted — and  the  only  Be- 
gotten of  the  Father  left  the  peaceful 
heavenly  mansions  of  glory  to  suffer, 
to  die,  to  enter  the  solitudes  of  the 
grove,  to  unbar  the  gates  of  death,  and 
break  the  everlasting  chains,  and  say 
to  the  sleeping  nations,  live. 

Though  all  the  human  race  will 
eventually  be  liberated  from  the  grave, 
yet  the  righteous  will  be  liberated 
long  before  the  wicked.  When  the 
great  Redeemer  shall  roll  back  the 
curtains  of  heaven,  and  unveil  his 
glorious  face,  an  angel  shall  sound  his 
trump,  both  long  and  loud,  which  will 
cause  the  whole  earth  to  quake  :  then 
will  the  graves  of  the  saints  be  open- 
ed, and  their  sleeping  bodies  will  come 
forth,  clothed  in  all  the  beauty  and 
freshness  of  immortality ;  arrayed  in 
beautiful  garments  and  white  robes, 
and  encircled  with  pillars  of  light, 
their  glory  will  be  as  the  dazzling 
rays  of  the  sun.  These  shall  all  be 
caught  up  from  the  earth,  and  be 
wafted  from  the  four  winds  towards 
the  great  central  gathering  place  in  the 
clouds  of  heaven,  where  the  Redeemer 
will  be  seen,  armed  with  Omnipotent 
power,  followed  by  the  saints  of  all 
ages,  nations,  and  kindreds,  accom- 
panied by  the  angels  and  all  the 
armies  of  heaven.  In  the  midst  of 
the  numberless  hosts  will  be  seen  all 
the  saints  of  the  latter-days  who  shall 
be  alive  on  the  earth  at  that  time  ;  for 
they  also  shall  be  caught  up,  as  well 
as  the  righteous  dead  ;  and  they  shall 
be  quickened  by  the  power  of  God. 
And  thus  shall  the  whole  combined 
hosts  of  the  righteous,  of  both  the 
heavens  and  the  earth,  be  gathered  in 
one.  Then  shall  the  nations  of  the 
wicked,  who  have  not  previously 
been  destroyed,  gaze  with  awful  fear 
and  terror  upon  the  immense  multi- 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE   SAINTS. 


281 


tude  of  glorified  beings,  filling  all  the 
heavens  above.  And  while  they  gaze 
with  frightful  astonishment  at  the 
glory,  power,  and  majesty,  displayed 
in  the  heavens,  another  trump  is  heard, 
calling  forth  another  class  who  have 
received  their  part  in  prison,  where 
the  gospel  has  been  preached  to  them 
that  they  might  be  judged  according 
to  men  in  the  flesh.  These  are  not 
Christ's  until  his  coming,  but  then 
they  are  redeemed,  being  brought 
forth  from  their  prison  houses  by  the 
power  of  the  Lamb. 

While  the  terror-stricken  nations 
still  behold,  they  hear  the  sound  of 
the  third  trump,  calling  forth  the 
spirits  of  wicked  men  who  are  to  be 
judged,  and  who  are  not  found  worthy 
to  receive  their  bodies,  until  the  thou- 
sand years  are  ended,  and  who  are  to 
be  cast  out  into  outer  darkness,  where 
is  weeping,  and  wailing,  and  gnash- 
ing of  teetii.  After  which  the  fourth 
trump  will  proclaim  the  dreadful  doom 
of  the  sons  of  perdition.  When  the 
spirits  of  the  dead  have  been  attended 
to.  and  sealed  over  unto  the  end,  to 
reap  the  results  of  their  own  evil  do- 
ings, then  shall  the  fifth  angel  sound 
his  trump  in  the  ears  of  the  frightened 
nations  still  living,  proclaiming  that 
the  hour  of  God's  judgment  is  come  : 
then  shall  the  arm  of  the  Lord  fall 
upon  them;  and  the  fierce  and  vivid 
lightnings  shall  streak  forth,  and  the 
thunderings  of  his  power  shall  shake 
the  earth  and  heavens,  and  the  nations 
of  great  Babylon  shall  be  cast  down 
by  devouring  fire  ;  and  the  hills  and 
mountains  shall  melt  like  wax  at  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  and  the  earth 
shall  be  purified  of  its  wickedness, 
and  the  saints  shall  receive  their  in- 
heritances on  the  same,  and  the  poor 
and  the  meek  shall  be  comforted,  for 
the  fatness  of  the  earth  and  all  the 
fulness  thereof  shall  be  theirs. 

The  saints  who  have  received  their 
immortal  bodies  from  the  grave,  will 
each  receive  a  crown  immediately 
after  their  resurrection.  Some  have 
supposed  that  the  saints  would  not 
be  crowned  until  after  the  Millennium, 
and  the  earth  passes  away,  and  the 
new  heavens  and  new  earth  are  made. 


But  Jesus  says,  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say 
unto  you,  and  it  hath  gone  forth  in  a 
firm  decree,  by  the  will  of  the  Father, 
that  mine  apostles,  the  twelve  which 
were  with  me  in  my  ministry  at  Jeru- 
salem, shall  stand  at  my  right  hand  at 
the  day  of  my  coming  in  a  pillar  of 
fire,  being  clothed  with  robes  of  right- 
eousness, with  croirns  upon  their  heads, 
in  glory  even  as  I  am,  to  judge  the 
whole  house  of  Israel,  even  as  many 
as  have  loved  me  and  kept  my  com- 
mandments, and  none  else ;  for  a 
trump  shall  sound  both,  long  and 
loud,  even  as  upon  Mount  Sinai,  and 
all  the  earth  shall  quake,  and  they 
shall  come  forth  :  yea,  even  the  dead 
which  died  in  me,  to  receive  a  croicn 
of  righteousness,  and  to  be  clothed 
upon,  even  as  I  am,  to  be  with  me, 
that  we  may  be  one.''  (Doctrine 
and  Covenants,  Sec.  10,  par.  3.) 

From  this  quotation  we  learn  that 
the  crowns  are  to  be  on  the  heads  of 
the  apostles  and  of  the  resurrection 
saints  in  the  day  of  the  Lord's  com- 
ing, and  that  they  will  not  have  to 
wait  one  or  two  thousand  years  long- 
er before  they  receive  their  kingdoms. 
If  the  apostles  have  crowns  placed 
upon  their  heads  immediately  after 
they  obtain  their  bodies,  they  will 
most  unquestionably  each  have  a 
throne.  When  Jesus  was  with  them 
in  his  ministry  at  Jerusalem,  he  made 
them  the  following  promise  :  "  Verily 
I  say  unto  you,  that  ye  which  have 
followed  me,  in  the  regeneration  when 
the  Son  of  Man  shall  sit  in  the  throne 
of  his  glory,  ye  also  shall  sit  upon 
twelve  thrones,  judging  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel."  (Matthew  19  :  28.) 
These  twelve  thrones  will  not  merely 
be  thrones  of  judgment,  but  they  will 
be  thrones  of  kingdoms,  as  we  are  in- 
formed in  a  parallel  passage:  "Ye 
are  they  which  have  continued  with 
me  in  my  temptations.  And  I  appoint 
unto  you  a  kingdom,  as  my  Father 
hath  appointed  unto  me  ;  that  ye  may 
eat  and  drink  at  my  table  in  my  king- 
dom, and  sit  on  thrones  judging  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel."  (Luke  22  : 
28-30.)  As  the  twelve  tribes  of  Is- 
rael, or  that  portion  of  them  who  are 
righteous  enough  to  come  forth  in  the 


282 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE   SAINTS. 


first  resurrection,  will  receive  their  in- 
heritances in  the  land  of  Palestine  : 
the  twelve  apostles  will,  no  doubt, 
have  their  thrones  located  in  Jerusa- 
lem, after  it  is  rebuilt.  John,  the 
revelator,  in  describing  the  appearance 
of  that  city,  as  he  beheld  it  in  vision 
descending  upon  the  new  earth,  says, 
it  "  had  a  wall  great  and  high,  and 
the  wall  of  the  city  had  twelve  founda- 
tions, and  in  them  the  names  of  the 
twelve  apostles  of  the  Lamb."  (Rev. 
21  :  12,  14.)  Jerusalem,  then,  will  be 
the  residence  of  these  twelve  kings  : 
there  their  thrones  will  be  located, 
upon  which  they  will  sit  and  judge 
the  tribes.  When  the  great  and  high 
wall  is  built  around  it,  the  names  of 
each  of  these  twelve  king's  will  be 
most  beautifully  engraved  upon  the 
twelve  great  foundation  stones. 

At  what  time  the  wall  will  be  built 
is  uncertain :  the  commencement  of 
the  building  of  the  city  will  be  just 
prior  to  the  coming  gf  the  Messiah 
and  the  Millennium  :  it  will  undoubt- 
edly be  continued  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  Jesus  and  his  apostles, 
during  the  whole  of  that  peaceful  and 
happy  period.  It  is  very  probable  that 
the  wall  will  be  about  the  last  thing 
built ;  this  will  be  thrown  around  the 
city  to  prevent  the  apostate  nations 
after  the  thousand  years  are  ended 
from  encroaching  upon  the  holy  and 
consecrated  place.  We  are  told  by 
the  prophet  Isaiah,  that  Jerusalem 
shall  put  on  her  beautiful  garments 
and  become  a  holy  city,  and  that  from 
"henceforth  there  shall  no  more  come 
into  her  the  uncircumcised  and  the 
unclean."  (Isaiah  52  :  1.)  To  pre- 
vent the  intrusion  of  wicked  characters 
when  Satan  shall  be  loosed,  a  high 
wall  will  be  built;  it  will  also  serve  as 
a  splendid  ornament  to  the  city,  the 
gates  being  formed  of  the  most  costly 
and  magnificent  pearls,  while  the  twelve 
foundation  stones  will  each  be  differ- 
ent, and  each  will  be  garnished  with 
all  manner  of  precious  stones  ;  and  the 
light  of  the  glory  of  God  shining  upon 
them,  will  give  the  whole  r  most  bril- 
liant and  dazzling  appearance. 

The  Lord  has  promised  that  this 
city,  after  it  is  rebuilt,  "  shall  not  be 


plucked  up  nor  thrown  down  any  'more 
for  ever."  (Jer.  31 :  38—40.)  Con- 
sequently, when  the  old  earth  passes 
away,  and  the  new  one  is  formed  out 
of  the  old  materials,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary for  the  preservation  of  the  city  to 
take  it  up  from  the  earth  into  the 
heavens,  where  it  will  remain  until  the 
new  earth  is  fully  completed,  when  it 
will  descend  as  the  great  capital  and 
seat  of  government  over  the  new  cre- 
ation, where  Jesus  and  his  apostles 
will  continue  to  reign  over  the  House 
of  Israel  for  ever  and  ever. 

But  to  return  again  to  the  sceneries, 
connected  with  the  first  resurrection. 
We  have  already  ascertained,  that  the 
apostles  after  their  resurrection  will 
have  crowns,  and  thrones,  and  a  king- 
dom given  to  them ;  and  that  Jerusa- 
lem, where  they  formerly  suffered 
shame,  and  affliction,  and  persecution, 
will  be  their  residence,  where  their 
mansions,  and  their  palaces,  and  their 
thrones,  will  be  erected ;  and  that  the 
resurrection  saints,  included  in  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  will  be  judged 
by  them,  or  in  other  words,  be  ruled 
and  governed  by  them,  as  their  lawful 
kings. 

Jesus  will  also  have  his  throne 
erected  in  Jerusalem :  for  he  will  reign 
over  the  house  of  Israel ;  and  the  apos- 
tles, in  the  exercise  of  their  kingly 
office,  will  be  subject  to  him.  The 
angel  said  to  Zacharias  concerning 
Jesus  :  "  He  shall  be  great,  and  shall 
be  called  the  Son  of  the  Highest :  and 
the  Lord  God  shall  give  unto  him  the 
throne  of  his  father  David  :  and  he 
shall  reign  over  the  house  of  Jacob  for 
ever;  and  of  his  kingdom  there  shall 
be  no  end."  (Luke  1 :  32,33.)  The 
throne  of  Jesus  will  be  erected  in  the 
magnificent  temple,  described  by  the 
prophet  Ezekiel  in  the  last  chapter  of 
his  prophecy.  "  Afterward  he  brought 
me  to  the  gate,  even  the  gate  that 
looketh  toward  the  east :  and,  behold, 
the  glory  of  the  God  of  Israel  came 
from  the  way  of  the  east  :  and  His 
I  voice  was  like  a  noise  of  many  wa- 
'  ters  :  and  the  earth  shined  with  His 
i  glory."  "  And  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
[  came  into  the  house  by  the  way  of  the 
,  gate  whose  prospect  is  toward  the  east. 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE   SAINTS. 


283 


So  the  spirit  took  me  up,  and  brought 
me  into  the  inner  court;  and,  behold, 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  tilled  the  house. 
And  i  heard  Him  speaking  unto  me  out 
of  the  house ;  and  the  man  stood  by 
me.  And  He  said  unto  me,  Son  of  man, 
The  place  of  my  Throne,  and  the 
place  of  the  soles  of  my  feet,  where  I 
will  dwell  in  the  midst  of  the  children 
of  Israel  for  ever,  and  my  holy  name, 
shall  the  house  of  Israel  no  more  de- 
file, neither  they,  nor  their  kings." 
(Ezekiel  43  :  1, 2, 4-7.  Whether  the 
twelve  apostles  will  have  their  twelve 
thrones  in  the  same  temple,  or  in  sepa- 
rate palaces,  is  not  stated. 

The  dwelling  places  of  many  of  the 
resurrection  saints  will  be  in  the  same 
city:  others  of  them  will  have  their 
mansions  erected  in  other  cities,  and 
upon    their    farms    and    inheritances 
throughout  the  land  of  Canaan.    Eze- 
kiel, as  we  have  already  noticed,  had 
a  view  of  their  resurrection  :  he  saw 
their  bones  united  ;  he  saw  the  flesh, 
sinews,  and  skin,  placed  in  their  proper 
position  ;  he  saw  the  breath  enter  them, 
and  that  they  lived  and  stood  upon 
their  feet  an  exceeding  great   army, 
And  not  fully  understanding  who  or 
what  people  they  were,  the  Lord  gave 
him  further  instruction,  as  follows  : — 
"Then  He  said  unto  me,  Son  of  man, 
these  bones  are  the  whole  house  of 
Israel,"  (meaning  no  doubt  the  right- 
eous among  them,  for  the  wicked  will 
not  be  favored  with  a  resurrection  at 
the  time  of  the  righteous;)  "  behold, 
they  say,  Our  bones  are  dried,  and  our 
hope  is  lost:    we  are  cut  oft"  for  our 
parts."     No  doubt  the  house  of  Israel 
in  Ezekiel's  time,  were  in   great  fears 
and  doubts,  about  the  fulfilment  of  the 
promises  made  to  their  fathers :  they 
could  read  in  their  sacred  books  that 
the  righteous  of  Abraham's  seed  were 
to  inherit  that  land  for  ever;  and  yet 
they  saw  that  many  holy  prophets  and 
righteous  men  of  Israel  died  in  foreign 
lands  in  captivity.      And    having   no 
knowledge  that  the  promise  could  be 
fulfilled  after   death,    they   contended 
that  many  had  died  without  receiving 
the  proinise,  and  that  their  bones  were 
dry  and    mouldering  in  their  graves, 
and  that  those  righteous  persons  never 


inherited  a  foot  of  the  promised  land  : 
and  seeing  all  this,  they  exclaimed  in 
despair,    "Our  hope  is  lost:   we  are 
cut  oft*  for  our  parts."     The  Lord  in 
order  to  show  them  that  the  promise 
was  still  sure,  gave  Ezekiel  this  vision, 
and   showed  him   how  Israel  should 
inherit  the  promise  after  the  resurrec- 
tion.     Hence,  the    Lord  commanded 
him  to  prophesy  to  those  bones  or  to 
the  whole  house  of  Israel  in  their  se- 
pulchres, "•and  say  unto  them,  Thus 
saith  the  Lord  God;  Behold,  O  my  peo- 
ple, 1  will  open  your  graves,  and  cause 
you   to  come  up  out  of  your  graves 
and  bring  you  into  the  land  of  Israel. 
And  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord, 
when  I  have  opened  your  graves,  O 
my  people,  and  brought  you  up  out  of 
your  graves;  and  shall  put  my  spirit  in 
you,  and   ye  shall  live,  and   I    shall 
place   you  in  your  own  land  :    then 
shall  ye   know  that  I  the  Lord  have 
spoken  it,  and  performed  it,  saith  the 
Lord."     (Ezekjel37:  11-14.) 

All  the  righteous  of  the  twelve 
tribes  are  to  have  their  graves  opened, 
and  they  are  to  come  up  out  of  their 
graves  an  exceeding  great  army.  And 
Oh,  what  joy  will  fill  their  bosoms, 
when  they  find  themselves  in  posses- 
sion of  that  very  land,  where  the 
tribes  of  Israel  once  lived— the  land 
where  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  lived 
as  strangers  and  pilgrims  I  How  joyful 
it  will  be  for  Abraham,  Sarah,  Hager, 
and  his  other  concubines  to  find  them- 
selves dwelling  again  in  the  land  of 
their  pilgrimage ;  and  to  see  the  nu- 
merous hosts  of  their  immortal  chil- 
dren all  around  them.  Jacob  and  his 
four  wives  will  gaze  upon  the  descend- 
ants of  their  twelve  sons,  and  see  them 
spread  out  upon  the  face  of  the  land, 
like  the  stars  of  heaven  for  multitude. 
How  these  ancient  fathers  and  mothers 
of  the  hosts  of  Israel,  will  rejoice  to 
gather  around  them  their  descendants 
to  the  hundredth  generation  and  relate 
to  them  the  sceneries  of  their  childhood, 
and  point  out  to  them  the  places 
where  they  pitched  their  tents— where 
they  built  their  altars— where  they 
called  upon  the  Lord  in  mighty  prayer 
where  angels  descended  and  com- 
forted them— where  the  God  of  glory 


284 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE   SAINTS. 


appeared  and  gave  them  great  promises, 
concerning  their  seed  forever  !  How 
delighted  will  all  the  generations  of 
their  children  be,  to  visit  the  mansions 
of  these  glorified  patriarchs  and  eat 
and  drink  with  them,  and  realize  that 
death  can  no  more  separate  them,  but 
they  shall  dwell  in  the  land  of  Israel 
for  ever ! 

Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  have 
already  received  their  crowns,  and  their 
thrones,  and  now  sit  upon  them,  (see 
Revelation  in  No.  1,  vol.  1  of  the  Seer, 
paragraphs  11  and  14,)  being  exalted 
among  the  principalities  and  powers 
of  the  heavenly  worlds ;  and  they  look 
forward  with  longing  anticipations,  to 
the  time  when  all  their  righteous  chil- 
dren shall  come  out  of  their  graves, 
that  they  may  return  to  the  land  of 
Canaan,  and  reign  on  the  earth,  as  they 
now  reign  in  the  heavens.  As  these 
ancient  patriarchs  now  sit  upon  their 
thrones,  it  is  evident  that  they  must 
have  received  their  resurrection  imme- 
diately after  the  resurrection  of  Christ. 
Matthew  says,  that  "  The  graves  were 
opened,  and  many  bodies  of  the  saints 
which  slept  arose,  and  came  out  of  the 
graves  after  his  resurrection,  and  went 
into  the  holy  city,  and  appeared  unto 
many."  (-Matthew  27 :  52,53.)  The 
Book  of  Mormon  bears  testimony  that 
many  of  the  saints  in  ancient  America 
arose  from  the  dead,  and  appeared  to 
many  on  this  land.  All  those  who 
then  arose  have  undoubtedly  received 
their  crowns,  and  have  been  sitting 
upon  thrones,  and  reigning  as  kings  in 
the  heavens,  from  that  day  to  this. 
Their  redemption  has  been  perfected, 
but  they  wait  for  the  redemption  of 
their  children  to  be  perfected  also, 
until  which,  they  cannot  return  to 
their  promised  inheritances  upon  the 
earth. 

America,  being  the  land  of  Adam, 
and  the  land  of  Enoch,  and  the  land  of 
the  Jaredites,and  the  land  of  the  branch 
of  the  tribe  of  Joseph,  and  the  land  of 
the  Gentiles  who  are  now  upon  the  face 
thereof;  will  be  the  promised  land  of  the 
righteous  of  all  those  nations  and  gen- 
erations, even  as  the  land  of  Palestine 
is  to  the  righteous  of  the  twelve  tribes. 
And  in  the  first  resurrection,  the  right- 


eous who  have  dwelt  on  this  land,  will 
again  inherit  it  in  their  immortal  state. 

The  twelve  American  disciples  of 
Jesus  whom  he  chose,  soon  after  his 
resurrection,  at  the  time  he  showed  the 
remnant  of  Joseph  his  risen  and  glori- 
fied body,  will  also  sit  upon  twelve 
thrones  to  judge  the  righteous  upon 
this  land  who  are  of  Israel :  and  these 
twelve  will  be  judged  by  the  other 
twelve  at  Jerusalem  :  or  in  other  words, 
they  will  be  guided  and  directed  by  the 
advice  and  counsel  of  the  twelve  apos- 
tles in  all  the  important  affairs  pertain- 
ing to  their  kingdom  and  government 
in  America. 

One  of  the  most  important  persona- 
ges whose  throne  will  be  established 
in  America,  will  be  Adam,  the  father 
of  the  human  race.  He  will  reign  over 
all  the  other  kings  upon  the  face  of  the 
whole  earth,  under  the  counsel  and 
direction  of  the  Holy  One  :  Jesus  alone 
will  have  the  pre-eminence  over  him. 
Adam,  therefore,  will  stand  forth  as  the 
grand  Patriarch  and  chief  Prince  over 
all  the  righteous  of  his  posterity.  This 
promise  was  made  to  him  three  years 
previous  to  his  death  by  the  mouth  of 
the  Lord  who  appeared  to  him,  and 
the  righteous  of  his  posterity,  in  the 
grand  council,  held  in  the  valley  of  his 
residence,  called  Adam-Ondi-Ahman, 
near  the  western  boundaries  of  Mis- 
souri. This  venerable  Patriarch  was 
called  Michael  the  arch-angel,  or  the 
head  angel.  He  is  called  in  Daniel,  "  the 
Ancient  of  days,"  being  the  most  an- 
cient personage  who  lived  in  days — 
the  first  flesh  formed  from  the  dust  of 
the  earth.  Having  received  the  eter- 
nal priesthood  which  includes  the 
kingly  power,  he  received  a  crown 
most  glorious,  and  sits  upon  a  throne 
highly  exalted  in  the  eternal  heavens, 
awaiting  the  period  when  the  corrupt 
thrones  of  earthly  monarchs  shall  be 
cast  down,  when  he  will  be  sent  from 
heaven  to  earth,  accompanied  by  thou- 
sands on  thousands  of  glorified  beings, 
to  make  ready  and  prepare  all  things 
before  the  Son  of  Man,  who  Avill  come 
with  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and  present 
himself  before  the  ancient  of  days, 
even  Adam,  who  will  stand  forth  as 
the  head  representative  of  the  earthly 


RESURRECTION   OF  THE   SAINTS. 


2S5 


kingdom  and  present  it  to  his  great 
Redeemer,  the  King  of  kings,  and  Lord 
of  lords  :  then  will  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  and  the  kingdom  of  God  on 
the  earth  become  one. 

It  is  Michael  the  arch-angel  who 
sounds  the  seventh  trump,  and  pro- 
claims the  finishing  of  the  great  pre- 
paratory work  for  the  reign  of  his 
Saviour:  it  is  Adam  or  Michael  who 
holds  the  keys  of  the  mysteries 
of  the  mighty  works  of  God  which 
are  to  be  accomplished  during  the 
seventh  lh.ou.saud  years,  or  Mil- 
lennium ;  and  he  will  proclaim  the 
same,  at  the  second  sounding  of  his 
trump,  in  the  ears  of  all  living:  it 
is  he  who  is  to  "stand  forth  upon  the 
land  and  upon  the  sea,  and  swear  in 
the  name  of  him  who  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  that  there  shall  be  time  no  long- 
er;*' it  is  he  that  will  lead  forth  all 
the  armies  of  heaven,  against  all  the 
armies  of  the  combined  hosts  of  hell, 
after  the  close  of  the  Millennial  period, 
and  the  Devil  and  his  armies  will  be 
overcome,  and  they  will  be  cast  into 
their  own  place  where  they  will  not, 
henceforth,  have  power  over  the  saints 
any  more  at  all. 

The  throne  of  this  great  and  illus- 
trious personage  will  most  probably 
be  in  America — the  land  of  his  pil- 
grimage, and  the  land  of  his  fall;  the 
land  where  first  the  glad  tidings  of 
redemption  reached  the  ears  of  mortal 
man. 

The  throne  of  Enoch  will  also  be 
in  or  near  America,  in  the  midst  of  his 
own  city,  Zion,  which  he  built  unto 
the  Lord  before  the  Hood,  and  which 
fled  from  earth  to  heaven,  to  be  re- 
served until  a  day  of  righteousness 
should  come,  when  it  will  come  again 
in  the  sight  of  the  astonished  nations, 
and  have  place,  until  the  end  shall 
come.  This  city  will,  most  probably, 
not  rest  upon  the  earth  but  hover  over 
it,  and  will  be  the  abode  of  glorified 
immortal  beings  :  hence  we  read  that 
when  the  aged  die,  during  the  Millen- 
nium, they  are  not  buried  in  the  earth, 
but  they  are  immediately  raised  to  im- 
mortality, and  are  caught  up  where 
their  rest  is  glorious.  This  proves 
that  there  will  be  aglorified  place  above 
the  surface  of  the  earth  to  which  these 


aged  people  ascend  after  they  are 
raised.  This  place  is  undoubtedly  the 
city  or  Zion  of  Enoch  in  connection 
with  other  redeemed  cities  which  the 
Lord  has  taken  from  all  the  creations 
which  He  has  made.  The  Zion  of 
Enoch,  therefore,  will  probably  be 
very  near  the  earth,  located  over  the 
American  continent  where  it  was  an- 
ciently built;  and,  most  likely,  will 
partake  of  the  diurnal  and  annual  rev- 
olutions of  the  earth,  so  as  not  to 
change  its  relative  position  in  regard  to 
the  western  hemisphere  of  our  planet. 

We  have  spoken  of  Jesus  and  the 
twelve  apostles  having  their  thrones  in 
Jerusalem,  and  of  the  resurrection 
saints,  connected  with  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel,  receiving  their  inher- 
itances in  the  land  of  Canaan  :  but 
these  are  only  their  earthly  thrones 
and  their  earthly  inheritances;  besides 
theso,  they  will  have  heavenly  thrones 
and  heavenly  inheritances,  not  con- 
nected with  the  earth,  or  rather,  not 
standing  upon  the  earth,  but  in  the 
redeemed  cities  and  glorified-  worlds 
above.  Therefore,  these  celestial  Kings 
and  Priests,  and  resurrection  Saints 
will  only  visit  their  earthly  kingdoms, 
and  sit  upon  their  earthly  thrones,  and 
occupy  their  earthly  mansions,  and 
dwell  upon  their  earthly  inheritances, 
at  intervals,  whenever  they  feel  dis- 
posed, and  whenever  they  think  it 
necessary  for  the  welfare  and  benefit 
of  the  earthly  and  mortal  inhabitants. 

That  the  Father,  and  Son,  and  all 
the  children  of  God  will  have  thrones 
and  kingdoms  in  the  heavens  eternally 
as  well  as  upon  the  earth,  is  clearly 
revealed  in  many  parts  of  scripture 
both  ancient  and  modern.  In  the 
second  epistle  of  Mormon  to  his  Son 
Moroni,  he  closes  thus:  "And  may 
the  grace  of  God  the  Father,  whose 
throne  is  high  in  the  heavens,  and  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  sitteth  on  the 
right  hand  of  His  power,  until  all 
things  shall  become  subject  unto  Him, 
be,  and  abide  with  you  for  ever." 
God  the  Father  has  a  throne  high  in 
the  heavens.  The  prophet  Mormon 
in  his  sermon  on  Faith,  Hope,  and 
Charity,  speaks  of  Christ  thus  :  "  He 
advocateth  the  cause  of  the  children 
of  men  ;  and  he  dwellcth  eternally  in 


286 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE   SAINTS. 


the  heavens?''  And  in  speaking  of  the 
three  Nephites  who  were  never  to  taste 
of  death,  but  who  received  a  partial 
change,  he  says,  that  in  the  judgment 
day  of  Christ  they  are  to  receive  a  full 
change  from  mortality  to  immortality, 
and  "  be  received  into  the  kingdom  of 
the  Father  to  go  no  more  out,  bill  to 
dwell  with  God  eternally  in  the  heav- 
ens?'' The  same  idea  is  clearly  ex- 
pressed in  many  other  revelations, 
from  which  it  is  plain  that  the  earthly 
thrones  and  kingdoms  are  but  a  small 
portion  of  the  vast  dominions  and 
blessings  of  the  righteous. 

In  a  revelation  given  through  Joseph 
the  Seer  in  March,  1S32,  the  Lord  sets 
forth  a  pattern  for  His  servants  in  re- 
gard to  being  equal  in  temporal  things, 
that  they  might  become  equal  in  heav- 
enly things.  He  says,  "Through  my 
providence,  notwithstanding  the  tribu- 
lation which  shall  descend  upon  you, 
that  the  Church  may  stand  indepen- 
dent above  all  other  creatures  beneath 
the  celestial  world,  that  you  may  come 
up  unto  the  crown  prepared  for  you, 
and  he  made  Rulers  over  many  king- 
doms, saith  the  Lord  God,  the  Holy 
One  of  Zion."  Thus  we  see  that  there 
are  many  kingdoms,  besides  those 
pertaining  to  the  earth,  over  which  the 
faithful  servants  of  God  will  be  made 
rulers.  In  this  same  revelation  the 
Lord  says  uhe  that  is  a  faithful  and  wise 
steward  shall  inherit  all  things?''  (Doc. 
&  Gov.  Sec.  76.)  Again,  the'  Lord 
says,  concerning  His  faithful  servants, 
that  "  he  that  is  ordained  of  God  and 
sent  forth,  the  same  is  appointed  to  be 
the  greatest,  notwithstanding  he  is 
least  and  the  servant  of  all :  wherefore, 
he  is  possessor  of  all  things,  for  all 
things  are  subject  unto  him,  both  in 
heaven  and  on  the  earth,  the  life  and 
the  light,  the  spirit  and  the  power,  sent 
forth  by  the  will  of  the  Father,  through 
Jesus  Christ  His  Son ;  but  no  man  is 
possessor  of  all  things,  except  he  be 
purified  and  cleansed  from  all  sin ; 
and  if  ye  are  purified  and  cleansed  from 
all  sin,  ye  shall  ask  whatsoever  you 
will  in  the  name  of  Jesus  and  it  shall 
be  done."     (Doc.  &  Cov.  Sec.  17:6.) 

From  these  quotations,  it  will  be 
perceived  that  the  children  of  God  who 


are  purified  from  all  sin  are  to  be  made 
equal  one  with  another  in  earthly  and 
heavenly  things — that  they  are  to  pos- 
sess the  light  and  the  life,  the  spirit 
and  the  power;  that  all  things  are  to  be 
subject  unto  them  both  in  heaven  and 
on  the  earth — and  that  they  are  to  in- 
herit all  things.  In  section  Seventh, 
paragraph  thirty-third,  we  are  informed 
that  the  saints  are  to  be  made  equal 
with  Christ  immediately  after  their 
resurrection  ;  and  in  the  vision,  we  are 
told  that  they  are  to  be  made  "  equal  in 
power,  and  in  might,  and  in  dominion?'' 
How,  it  may  be  asked,  will  the  saints 
be  made  equal  "  in  dominion?  "  We 
know  not,  unless  it  will  be  by  each 
one  inheriting  all  things :  if  all  the 
thrones,  and  kingdoms,  and  worlds 
throughout  universal  space,  should  be 
the  inheritance  of  God  the  Father,  and 
of  His  Son,  and  of  each  of  His  children 
who  attains  to  a  fulness  of  celestial 
glory  ;  then  it  might  with  propriety, 
be  said  that  they  were  equal  "  in  Do. 
minion  :"  if  one  ruled  over  a  greater 
number  of  worlds  than  another,  it 
would  appear  not  only  to  destroy  the 
equality  "  in  dominion,''''  but  the  equal- 
ity "  in  ■power?''  and  the  promise  of  all 
things,  and  of  the  inheritance  of  all 
things  would  seem  to  be  void.  Jesus 
in  his  prayer  to  the  Father  says,  "  And 
all  mine  are  thine,  and  thine  are  mine?'' 
(John  17:  10.)  Again,  Jesus  says, 
"  Ml  things  that  the  Father  hath  are 
mine?"1  (John  16  :  15.)  Hence  we 
perceive,  that  the  Father  inherits  all 
things,  that  Jesus  inherits  all  that  the 
Father  does ;  and  that  the  saints  are  to 
be  equal  with  Jesus  and  be  joint  heirs 
with -him  in  all  his  possessions,  and  to 
sit  down  with  him  on  his  throne,  even 
as  Jesus  sits  on  his  Father's  throne 
and  exercises  almighty  power  in  his 
kingdoms :  consequently  all  glorified 
worlds  that  have  been,  that  are,  and 
that  ever  will  be,  appear  to  be  the 
common  property  of  all  saints  who 
attain  to  the  fulness  of  the  glory  of 
the  celestial  world.  Herein  consists 
the  perfect  oneness  between  the  Father, 
Son,  and  all  his  Saints.  The  Saints 
will  be  as  perfect  as  the  Father  and 
Son  are  perfect;  they  will  be  as  pure 
as  they  are  ;  they  will  receive  a  fulness 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE   SAINTS. 


287 


of  all  truth — even  a  knowledge  of  "  all 
things  as  they  are,  as  they  were,  and 
as  they  are  to  come."  They  will  be 
"equal  in  power,  and  in  might,  and  in 
dominion,"  they  will  "inherit  all 
things ;"  they  will  be  crowned  over 
all  the  kingdoms  of  our  God'  All 
principalities  and  powers,  whether  in 
heaven  or  in  the  heaven  of  heavens,  in 
the  heights  above  or  in  the  depths  be- 
neath will  be  subject  to  them.  Each 
one  will  be  God  in  all  the  fulness  of 
His  glorious  attributes,  swaying  al- 
mighty power  over  all,  and  in  all,  and 
through  all  things.  Then  we  shall 
know  that  we  are  in  God  and  God  in 
us  ;  otherwise,  we  could  not  abound  ; 
then  we  shall  know  that  there  is  but 
one  God  so  far  as  the  attributes  are 
concerned,  and  that  He  dwells  in  an 
infinity  of  tabernacles  ;  and  that  He  has 
prescribed  laws  to  govern  Himself  in 
all  the  tabernacles  which  He  inherits, 
and  that  He  acts  in  and  through  each 
tabernacle  according  to  His  own  laws  ; 
and  the  fulness  of  His  attributes  in  one 
tabernacle  will  not  act  in  opposition  to 
the  fulness  of  His  attributes  in  another; 
but  He  will  act  in  all  His  dwelling 
places  in  harmony  with  Himself. 

Now,  we  are  but  parts  of  God, 
dwelling  in  different  tabernacles,  and 
we  are  required  to  gain  other  parts ; 
and  if  we  abide  in  the  law  ordained  for 
our  government,  God  will  impart  more 
of  Himself;  hence  Jesus  says,  "Inas- 
much as  ye  have  received  me,  ye  are 
in  me,  and  I  in  you."  When  we  have 
received  him  in  fulness,  it  prepares  us 
to  be  joint  heirs  with  Him  in  the  in- 
heritance of  all  things  It  is  this  ful- 
ness of  God  in  each  tabernacle  that  in- 
herits al  lthings — that  possesses  all 
things — that  exercises  power  over  all 
things — that  reigns  over  all,  erecting 
His  thrones  upon  all  glorified  worlds, 
and  giving  Himself  universal  dominion 
wherever  He  may  dwell  whether  in 
one  tabernacle  or  in  the  whole. 

The  earth,  as  we  have  already  stated; 
will  be  one  of  the  glorified  kingdoms, 
where  the  resurrection  saints  will  re- 
ceive their  inheritances,  and  their 
thrones;  but  during  the  Millennial 
period,  they  will  not  dwell  so  con- 
stantly on  their  earthly  thrones  as  on 


their  heavenly  ones.  After  the  earth 
has  passed  away  and  been  made  new, 
and  becomes  a  glorified  and  celestial 
world,  it  will  be  crowned  with  the 
presence  of  God  the  Father,  and  it  will 
be  the  dwelling  place  of  numerous  tab- 
ernacles of  God  ;  for  though  each  in- 
herits all  things,  no  one  can  be  in  two 
places  at  once,  so  far  as  the  tabernacle 
is  concerned  ;  therefore  the  glorified 
earth  will  be  the  homestead  of  those 
saints  who  have  previously  inhabited 
it;  while  the  saints  of  other  glorified 
worlds  who  also  inherit  all  things, 
will  have  the  respective  worlds  to 
which  they  belong  as  their  everlasting 
homes  or  head  quarters.  Thus  God 
by  His  attributes,  inhabiting  an  infinity 
of  tabernacles,  dwelling  on  numberless 
|  worlds,  can  be  in  them  all  at  the  same 
moment,  and  thus  be  Omnipresent. 
While  if  it  were  not  for  this  arrange- 
ment, He  could  only  be  on  one  world 
at  a  time.  Oh,  how  great  and  marvel- 
ous are  the  ways  of  the  Almighty! 
How  wonderfnl  are  His  doings!  He 
organizeth  for  Himself  dwelling  places 
in  all  glorified  worlds  that  He  may 
abide  in  them  for  ever!  He  maketh 
them  beings  independent  in  the  highest 
sphere,  and  yet  by  His  wisdom  He 
subjecteth  them  to  the  same  celestial 
law  and  uniteth  them  as  one  ! 

When  the  resurrection  saints  have 
attained  to  all  this  fulness  of  glory, 
and  have  become  exalted  as  gods  upon 
their  eternal  thrones,  there  will  be  no 
possibility  of  their  falling,  any  more 
than  there  is  of  the  fall  of  the  Father 
and  Son.  Therefore  the  inhabitants 
of  all  inferior  kingdoms,  over  whom 
they  reign,  will  look  to  them  with 
the  same  confidence  that  we  now  look 
upon  the  Lord  our  God.  And  God, 
that  is  in  each,  will  proclaim  Himself 
to  all  his  creations  as  the  only  wise 
God,  that  besides  Him  there  is  none 
else,  and  that  He  is  from  everlasting 
to  everlasting,  His  works  having  no 
end,  neither  beginning. 

Notwithstanding  we  have  spoken 
of  the  saints  jointly  inheriting  all 
things,  yet  there  will,  undoubtedly, 
be  strict  and  unchangeable  laws  regu- 
lating this  joint  inheritance,  by  which 
no  one  will  be  permitted  to  infringe 


288 


NOTICE. 


upon  the  rights  of  others ;  these  laws 
being  established  upon  the  strictest 
principles  of  justice  and  equity,  from 
which  there  will  be  no  deviation. 
Each  will  be  appointed  to  take  the 
immediate  charge  of  particular  or 
specified  portions  of  the  joint  inherit- 
ance, over  which  he  will  more  imme- 
diately rule  :  though  the  whole  is  the 
inheriTai'wje  of  each,  yet  each  cannot, 
in  his  own* person,  be  every  where 
present  to  govern  and  rule  over  the 
whole:  therefore  each  will  have  his 
family,  and  particular  kingdoms,  and 
worlds  assigned  him  to  p-overn  and 
control,  so  that,  the  great,  universal, 
and  infinite  inheritance  may  be  prop- 
erly managed  for  the  beneiit  of  its 
joint  owners.  This  will  be  a  grand 
co-partnership,  embracing  the  inhab- 
itants of  all  glorified  worlds  who  have 
attained  to  the  fulness  of  celestial 
glory. 

Though  the  saints  are  all  "equal 
in  power,  and  in  might,  and  in  do- 
minion," so  far  as  the  universal  joint 
inheritance  is  concerned,  yet,  we  sup- 
pose, that  they  will  be  unequal  in  re- 
gard to  the  extent  of  the  allotted  por- 
tions of  the  joint  inheritance  assigned 
to  the  management  of  each.  This 
ineqiality  probably  arising  from  the 
nature  of  their  callings  and  their  right- 
eousness in  this  life.  To  illustrate 
this,  we  will  suppose  that  all  the  in- 
habitants of  Utah  were  united  togeth- 
er in  a  firm  or  co-partnership,  in 
which  each  individual  should  be  con- 
sidered as  having  equal  privileges,  or 
in  other  words,  each  individual  should 
be  called  the  possessor  and  owner  of 


the  whole  capital  invested.  Jf  this 
capital  were  appropriated  to  every 
species  of  useful  business  throughout 
the  territory,  it  is  evident  that  branch- 
es of  business  assigned  to  individuals 
would  be  very  unequal  :  some  requir- 
ing a  hundred  fold  more  of  the  joint 
capital  than  others,  and  some  would 
be  entrusted,  from  the  nature  of  the 
business,  with  a  hundred  fold  more 
responsibility  than  others  ;  but  not- 
withstanding this  great  inequality  in 
the  multiplied  branches  of  industry, 
in  the  extent  of  the  responsibility,  and 
in  the  amount  of  the  joint  capital  en- 
trusted to  some  in  comparison  with 
others,  yet  when  the  whole  capital  is 
taken  into  consideration,  they  are  all 
equal;  for  each  one  possesses  the 
whole  ;  each  one  has  equal  powers  in 
regard  to  the  whole  ;  each  one  inher- 
its all  things,  included  in  the  great 
general  capital. 

Now  let  this  general  capital  be  in- 
finitely enlarged,  so  as  to  take  with- 
in its  scope  all  glorified  worlds  in 
boundless  space,  that  now  is  or  that 
ever  will  be,  and  the  same  principle  is 
equally  applicable  :  it  accounts  for  the 
inequalities  in  some  things,  and  the 
equality  in  others  ;  it  reconciles  the 
apparent  contradictions  which  some 
have  supposed  tq  exist  in  the  revela- 
tions of  heaven  :  it  shows  how  we 
can  "  inherit  all  things,"  and  be  made 
"  equal  in  power,  and  in  might,  and 
in  dominion,'''  and  at  the  same  time  be 
very  unequal  in  the  distribution  of  the 
management  of  different  portions  of 
the  joint  inheritance. 


NOTICE. 


We  have  forwarded  to  our  subscril*rs  in  the  States  and  Provinces  other  publications  in  connection 
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between  this  and  the  1st  of  May,  as  we  expect  to  leave  for  Utah  in  May. 


CONTENTS: 

Resurrection  of  the  Saints, ; 273 

Notice, tm  2H8 


;.  WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.  C. 

EDITED    AtfD    PUBLISHED    BY    ORSON    PRATT,' 
Jit  %\  per  annum,  invariably  i?i  advance,  . 


if 


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